On Tuesday, November 2nd Pennsylvanians will elect a new Governor

This election is important for you and your child.

Why?

Because the Governor helps set priorities for child care, Pre-K and Head Start

• health and safety
• quality and
• accessibility

Past Governors have used their positions to advocate for the needs of young children. Through their support Pennsylvania now has:

• Keystone STARS quality rating system
• expanded support for Child Care Works
• expanded Head Start
• Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts and
• Keystone Babies

…all of which provide high quality early learning experiences for young children.  

While these programs have helped many Pennsylvania kids, more than 60 percent of eligible children still do not have access to them.

It will be up to the next Governor to make sure that all eligible children can participate.  Without his support children and families could lose these opportunities. 

Your vote -- and your voice -- will send an important message to Pennsylvania’s next Governor about the importance of:

Ensuring Health and Safety

The Governor and his staff make sure child care, Pre-K Counts and Head Start programs are safe, healthy places for children. They decide how often to update regulations and how closely to monitor child care health and safety. Some Governors place more emphasis on this than others. Pennsylvania needs a Governor who will do what’s best for kids.

Maintaining Quality Programs

Pennsylvania is a national leader in providing quality early childhood education through Keystone STARS, Pre-K Counts and other recent initiatives. The next Governor will decide whether to continue these programs and introduce new ones as the needs of Pennsylvania’s children and families evolve. The Governor also proposes funding to maintain, expand or reduce quality early childhood education. Pennsylvania needs a Governor who will build opportunities for high quality early childhood education throughout the state.

Expanding Access to Early Care and Education

The Governor can propose new guidelines for who is eligible for publicly-supported early care and education. In response to financial pressures, some states have reduced eligibility for child care subsidy, leaving thousands of families in the lurch. Other states have scaled back Pre-K eligibility. Pennsylvania needs a Governor who recognizes that access to early care and education is crucial to our state’s economic recovery and future competitiveness. 

Pennsylvania’s children and families have a lot at stake in who becomes our next Governor. They can’t vote, but you can.

Make sure you’re registered to vote by October 4th. Ask your child’s teacher for a voter registration form or click here for more information.

Learn about the candidates’ views on early childhood education. If you’re an early childhood education practitioner, discuss the candidates’ positions in a staff meeting. If you’re a parent, ask about their views at a parent meeting. Get to know the candidates.

Share what you learn with other parents.

Vote for the candidate of your choice November 2nd. Polls are open from 7 am to 8 pm. Look up your polling place.

Learn more about the campaign