PHOTO PROVIDED Pictured, from left, are River Valley Regional YMA CEO Chad Eberhart; RVR Director of Association Advancement Corinne Amrom; Matt Wise, district director for Sen. Gene Yaw; Carrie Pauling, district office manager for State Rep. Jamie Flick; Kim Bastian, regional ambassador, PACCA; and Ingrid Everett, professional development coordinator for Commonwealth University-Bloomsburg are pictured during a recent roundtable about early childhood education.

WILLIAMSPORT — The Lycoming-Clinton Counties Commission for Community Action (STEP), Inc. in partnership with the Early Learning Resource Center Region (ELRC) Region 7, The Pennsylvania Child Care Association (PACCA.) and early care and education providers held an Early Childhood Roundtable Discussion on Sept. 9, with local leaders and stakeholders, including Representative Joe Hamm and staff from Senator Gene Yaw, Senator Cris Dush, and Representative Jamie Flick’s offices; Williamsport’s Mayor Derek Slaughter; and Lycoming County Commissioner Frank Mussina.

The purpose of the event was to showcase local survey data showing how early education staff shortages are forcing the closing of child care classrooms causing parents to struggle to find the care they need to hold employment.

Specifically, data from local surveys showed the cumulative impact of the lack of child care availability and the impact on local employers.

In both Lycoming and Clinton counties, nearly all child care providers responding to the survey reported waitlists for slots and staffing shortages. Families responding to the survey reported near-universal job hardship impacts due to child care closures and high levels of concern about the wages and benefits of the staff caring for their children. Meanwhile, about half of all parents in both counties experienced being waitlisted before enrollment.

Participants also discussed Governor Josh Shapiro’s child care teacher recruitment and retention proposal to increase pay for child care workers to strengthen the workforce needed to serve the families of Lycoming and Clinton County.

“Staff get paid anywhere from minimum wage to $15 an hour. Staff are leaving to be able to get paid appropriately, not because they don’t love the job,” said Kim Bastian, Regional Ambassador, PACCA.

Speakers shared that undervaluing and underfunding of child care will continue to not only impact the quality of children’s care and education but continue to pose great risk to both families’ and communities’ economic future, unless there are systemic solutions.

To learn more about child care in Lycoming, Clinton and Tioga counties, you can head to www.elrc7.org to look at resources for providers, caregivers and the community.