Allegheny County unveils plans to expand childcare access for working families: ‘They’re still struggling’

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette- Allegheny County officials, joined by community advocates and state senators, unveiled an ambitious plan Wednesday to expand access to childcare and out-of-school programming.

Over the next five years, the county is aiming to create 5,000 new childcare and out-of-school program slots, an effort leaders say will allow more parents to enter and stay in the workforce while providing children with safe, structured environments to learn and grow.

“It’s about something very simple, but also very important: making sure that working families across Allegheny County have what they need to succeed,” county Executive Sara Innamorato said on the rainy afternoon at the Boys & Girls Club of Western Pennsylvania clubhouse in Millvale. “Because right now, families are doing everything right and they’re still struggling.”

The announcement came as part of the county’s broader “Forward with Families” initiative that focuses on five key areas: health, childcare, employment and education, housing and food and financial stability. 

Wednesday’s presentation focused squarely on childcare. Officials emphasized that although the county’s unemployment rate post-COVID remains low, many young and mid-career professionals refrain from getting jobs because they lack adequate childcare options. 

“[Where] success in the workforce falls apart is childcare,” said Rob Cherry, executive director of Partner4Work, a Downtown-based workforce development board for the region. “The parents who are ready have to step back. That’s why these slots matter. Five thousand of them are 5,000 parents who keep showing up for work.”

Ms. Innamorato said the issue is especially prevalent among women in the workforce, many of whom are college-educated and are an “incredible asset.”

“When it comes to building a prosperous economy, they’re staying at home and staying out of the workforce,” she said. “In a county like ours that’s focused on growth, we cannot afford that.”

State Sen. Nick Pisciottano, D-West Mifflin, said the challenges families face are part of a broader trend, pointing to a declining birth rate and rising costs as key barriers. 

“It is expensive to have children. It’s always been expensive, but it is prohibitively so now, and it’s not getting any better,” he said. “We have to examine why that is and what we can do to fix it.

Mr. Pisciottano added that state lawmakers are working on policies that would ease the burdens on working families, including a recently passed bill in the Democratic-controlled state House that would require employers to provide parental and medical leave.

Officials said this aspect of the Forward with Families initiative will prioritize care for infants and toddlers, before- and after-school programs, and care during nontraditional hours for families whose work schedules fall outside a 9 to 5.

At the Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania, which has served the region for more than a century and now operates nine clubhouses and five teen centers, leaders said the investment could be transformative.

“This announcement is enough to bring tears to our eyes because it’s been a long journey that we’ve set out on,” Chief Operating Officer Lindsey Ramsey said. “It will improve quality of life for our county’s children and families, and will place thousands of young people on a path forward toward a strong future.”

The work will be led by the county’s Department of Children Initiatives, which was launched in 2021 with support from the Heinz Endowments, to coordinate early childhood and out-of-school-time programs.

Leaders also announced the relaunch of an online childcare program finder, designed as a one-stop tool for families to search for after-school programs, camps and other services by applying filters such as the child’s age and location.

“Families are trying to make it work all day, every day, getting to work, caring for children … managing schedules, paying bills, and doing it within systems that can feel really hard to navigate,” said Cara Ciminillo, executive director of Trying Together, an Squirrel Hill-based organization aimed at supporting high-quality care and education for young children.

“Parents should not have to choose between earning a paycheck and finding safe, reliable care for their child, but for too many families, that’s still a reality,” she added.

Officials at the event also showed a more tangible reminder of what’s at stake: A group of preschoolers filed to the front of the room. In unison, they shouted, “forward with families,” before taking turns standing at the podium and smiling for photos.

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