Bill > HB781

This bill establishes a three-year pilot salary supplement program administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare to provide additional compensation for child-care center employees who work directly with children under four years old. The program aims to create pay parity across different age groups to prevent staff turnover, with salary supplements that can be scaled based on an employee's education and certification and potentially determined at a county level. Child-care centers receiving funds must use the money specifically to supplement wages and cannot use it to lower existing payroll costs. The department will review personnel records, monitor salary supplements and employee retention rates, and provide recommendations to the General Assembly about potentially continuing the program. The program will be funded through annual appropriations, with the first supplements to be issued by September 30, 2026, and will automatically expire after three fiscal years. Eligible child-care centers are defined as for-profit premises providing simultaneous care for seven or more children, excluding certain social service and pre-kindergarten programs. The department is required to adopt regulations to implement the program and will provide annual appropriation estimates to the General Assembly.

Education

https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/bill_history.cfm?syear=2025&sind=0&body=H&type=B&bn=781