Early Childhood Education Funding Map
Early childhood education (ECE) is a complex system of programs and funding streams at the federal and state level. This tool considers how programs and funding may impact young children and families within the ECE system, beginning with federal and state agencies.
In Pennsylvania, ECE programs fall under the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL), a collaborative effort between the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) and the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS). This tool also considers funding that may impact young children and families such as health and nutrition programs.
Each line on the map below represents a program/funding stream that provides services and supports integral to Pennsylvania’s ECE system. The lines are intended to provide an overview of how public dollars support young children and families, as well as the programs in the ECE system, demonstrating how the money flows from federal, state, and local levels to the program level.
The following funding breakout, map, and program and service descriptions are not exhaustive of all early childhood expenditures but are intended to be a primer on the state’s complex early childhood system. More details for each program/service are provided in the program description section.
Pennsylvania’s Early Childhood Funding Map
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What is the program/service?
Child Care (Federal): The Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Social Services Block Grant (SSBG), and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provide federal funding to Pennsylvania’s Child Care Works (CCW) subsidy program for children under age 13 in families with low-income.
The Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) is a federal and state partnership program administered by states, territories, and tribes. In PA, CCDF funding is administered through the Early Learning Resources Centers (ELRCs) in order to provide financial child care assistance to families with low-income.
This funding also supports Pennsylvania's Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) for early and school-age care and education programs, Keystone STARS, and licensing. The SSBG provides flexible funds to states for activities that serve vulnerable populations, and this includes supporting subsidies for child care for families with low-income. PA DHS is responsible for administering the SSBG in Pennsylvania and funding is administered through the ELRCs to provide child care subsidies to eligible families. ELRCs provide a single point-of-contact for families, early learning service providers, and communities to gain information and access services that support high-quality child care and early learning programs.
CCW subsidies help families with low-income afford quality child care. Families with an income at 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) or below and who meet the work requirements are eligible to enter the program. Based on the 2025 guidelines, a family of four making $64,300 is at 200% FPL.
The Keystone STARS program uses research-based standards focused on: staff qualifications and professional development, programming (curriculum, classroom environment), partnerships with family and community, and leadership and management (business practices). STAR 3 and 4 are considered high-quality, which only 49% of Pennsylvania child care providers meet.Who provides the funded service?
Agencies such as local governments and nonprofit organizations administer funds to support child care providers and families through the ELRCs.
Direct child care services are provided by operators of community-based early childhood centers, home-based care, and relative care providers who receive the CCW payments and Keystone STARS support.How much funding is there and how is it used?
Public funds supporting child care in PA come from both the federal and state government. The majority of those funds go to pay child care providers for services, including the CCW subsidy payments for eligible children enrolled. Child care funding includes items such as a base rate for programs. In addition to child care programs, child care funding supports agencies administering CCW assist with tasks such as eligibility determination and case management, as well as management of waiting lists, payments, and funds. CCDBG is the primary source of federal funding for CCW.
Child Care Services (state line item): In addition to CCW subsidy payments, this funding stream supports Keystone STARS programs through Professional Development opportunities. CCDBG is the primary source of federal funding for Keystone STARS.
FY 2024-2025 funding for Child Care Services was $298,080,000.
Child Care Assistance (state line item): This funding supports CCW subsidies for families receiving TANF, former TANF and SNAP benefits. These are federally funded through TANF, SNAP, and CCDBG and also supported by the state.
FY 2024-2025 funding for Child Care Assistance was $123,255,000.
As of January 1, 2022, $352 million in CCDF federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding supported lowering maximum copayments for families eligible for CCW to 3-7% of family income, within the federal recommendation, and increased base reimbursement rates for providers participating in CCW to the 60th percentile compared to the private pay market rate.Effective January 1, 2025, the subsidy base rates, also known as the Maximum Child Care Allowance (MCCA) was increased to the 75th percentile.
Who benefits?
49,225 (24,292 infants and toddlers) children younger than five years are enrolled in the CCW program as of January 2025.
The data only includes children receiving CCW, not private pay families. The state does not have reliable data on all children served in child care younger than five years. As of 2023, 72% of Pennsylvania children younger than age six had all adults in their household in the labor force, so many more families need child care.Over the past two years, the General Assembly acted in a bipartisan manner to make child care more affordable for families through the enhanced PA Child and Dependent Care Enhancement Tax Credit Program as well as the Employer Child Care Contribution Tax Credit — helping the demand side of the crisis.
Even with federal and state funding, child care is still largely a private pay industry with families paying up to nearly $15,000 annually for infant/toddler child care. Only 28% of eligible children receive CCW subsidy and the subsidy reimbursement providers receive is only 75% of the market rate (which doesn’t account for the actual cost of quality care).
What’s needed?
128,485 children who are eligible for CCW remain unserved as of January 2025. According to Start Strong PA’s Child Care Crisis Survey (September 2024), out of 1,140 child care providers who took the survey, there were 3,038 open child care positions. If those positions were filled 25,320 additional children could be served by fully staffed early care and education programs across the Commonwealth. The child care staffing shortage is driven by low wages. With an average child care teacher wage of approximately $15 per hour, wages fail to meet the cost of living in every county in Pennsylvania.
On Tuesday, February 4, 2025, Governor Shapiro delivered the 2025- 20256 Budget Address. Included in the proposed budget was the creation of a $55 million Child Care Recruitment and Retention line item. The proposed line item would provide each licensed child care employee participating in the subsidy program approximately $1,000 per year. This is a notable first step to implementing a publicly funded child care teacher recruitment and retention initiative to help alleviate the historic child care staffing crisis. While the PA House passed a budget that included the addition of a $55 million Child Care Recruitment and Retention line item, the Senate passed a version that flat funded spending and did not include the new line item. The 25-26 Pennsylvania budget is now more than two months past due.
Advocacy:
Start Strong PA advocates for affordable, high-quality infant and toddler child care in PA. Specific goals of this initiative include improving family access and affordability, securing sufficient payments to child care providers by paying providers in ways that reinforce stability, increase compensation for early learning professionals, and ensure accountability, oversight, and evaluation of the statewide early learning system.
Sources:Start Strong PA. 2025. “Facts about Child Care in Pennsylvania.”
PA Office of the Budget. 2024. “Commonwealth Budget.” Budget.PA.gov.
Start Strong PA. 2024. “Child Care Crisis September 2024 Survey Results”.
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What is the program/service?
Head Start (HS) is a program of the United States Department of Health and Human Services that provides comprehensive early childhood education, health, nutrition, and parent involvement services to low-income children from birth to age five and their families. Pennsylvania also has Early Head Start Child Care Partnerships (EHS-CCP), which funds classrooms for infants and toddlers.
Who provides the funded services?
Primarily center-based child care, K–12 schools, and stand alone HS programs. EHS home visiting is provided in the family environment. The Commonwealth of PA also serves as a grantee and provides EHS to a small number of locations across the Commonwealth. HS is a direct federal-to-local program delivered by public or private organizations across the state, and grantees include child care centers, stand-alone HS programs, and K-12 schools. HS federal grants are also administered through the state or Intermediate Units and are then distributed to the program level.
How much funding is there and how is it used?
$278,574,522 for Head Start (HS) Preschool and $107,685,977 for Early Head Start (EHS) to serve PA’s children, families, and pregnant individuals in 2023.
Families who are 100% of the federal poverty level (FPL) are eligible for HS and EHS at no cost. Based on 2025 guidelines, a family of four making $32,150 is at 100% FPL.
HS funds are awarded directly to program operators at the local level or through a lead agency. Funds can be used for program expenses including operations, professional development, quality improvement, and technology investments. HS provides high-quality education, health, nutrition, and parent engagement services. Head Start standards indicate high-quality, and they are considered to be equivalent to four stars in the Keystone STARS, Pennsylvania’s Quality Rating and Improvement System. Children ages three through five receive HS services, and at least 10% of a program’s enrollment must include children with disabilities.
Many HS programs also provide EHS, which is an evidence-based home visiting and child development program for pregnant women, infants, and toddlers, including young children with disabilities. EHS grantees provide services to children from birth to age 3 and to pregnant women. Home visiting operates virtually or in the family home. See the “Home Visiting” section for more information about these programs.Who benefits?
In 2025, 20,672 preschool aged children were funded for enrollment in Head Start and 6,702 infants, toddlers, and pregnant individuals were funded for enrollment in Early Head Start.
What’s needed?
84,767 eligible children in PA don’t have access to high-quality publicly-funded pre-k programs. High-quality, publicly funded pre-k programs are offered through Head Start, Pre-K Counts, Philadelphia pre-k (PHLpreK), school district pre-k programs, and through child care provided in Keystone STAR 3-4 centers and group child care homes participating in the Child Care Works program for preschool-age children. An additional 8,477 additional pre-k classrooms teachers are needed.
Advocacy:
Pre-K for PA advocates to make high-quality pre-k accessible to every three- and four-year-old in Pennsylvania. Specifically, Pre-K for PA works toward increased investments in the PKC and HSSAP line items.
Sources:National Head Start Association. 2025. Pennsylvania 2025 Head Start Profile.
Pre-K for PA. 2025. “High-Quality, Publicly Funded Pre-Kindergarten 2025.”
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What is the program/service?
Pennsylvania’s Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program (HSSAP) provides state funding to Head Start (HS) programs that serve three- and four-year-olds living in families at or below 100% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL).
Who provides the funded services?
Primarily center-based child care, K–12 schools, and stand alone Head Start programs.
How much funding is there and how is it used?
$90,878,000 in the 2024-2025 Fiscal Year (FY).
Similar to the federal Head Start, the programs provide comprehensive education, health, nutrition, and parent involvement services aligned to the federal program requirements. In Pennsylvania, this additional state funding enables more children to be served.Who benefits?
In Fiscal Year 2024-2025, 6,579 children were served by HSSAP.
What’s needed?
84,767 eligible children in PA don’t have access to high-quality publicly-funded pre-k. High-quality, publicly funded pre-k programs are offered through Head Start, Pre-K Counts, Philadelphia pre-k (PHLpreK), school district pre-k programs, and through child care provided in Keystone STAR 3-4 centers and group child care homes participating in the Child Care Works program for preschool-age children. An additional 8,477 additional pre-k classrooms teachers are needed.
Advocacy:
Pre-K for PA advocates to make high-quality pre-k accessible to every three- and four-year-old in Pennsylvania. Specifically, Pre-K for PA works toward increased investments in the PKC and HSSAP line items.
Sources:Pre-K for PA. 2025. “High-Quality, Publicly Funded Pre-Kindergarten 2025.”
PA Office of the Budget 2024. “Commonwealth Budget.” Budget.PA.gov.
Pre-K for PA. 2025. “Number of Children Served by Head Start by PA Senate District"
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What is the program/service?
Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts (PKC) is a state funded half- and full-day pre-kindergarten program for children ages three to five years old that is provided at no cost to families.
Who provides the funded services?
Providers are K-12 schools, child care centers, and group child care homes designated as Keystone STARS 3 and 4, Head Start programs, and PDE-licensed nursery schools.
How much funding is there and how is it used?
$317,284,000 in the 2024-2025 Fiscal Year (FY).
PA PKC is primarily designed for families earning up to 300% of the Federal Poverty level (FPL). Eligible children may also have language delay (English is not a first language), a disability or developmental delay, or other issues that make them at risk for failing in school. Based on 2025 guidelines, a family of four making $96,450 is at 300% FPL.Who benefits?
In the 2023-2024 Fiscal Year 25,053 children were served by over 1,000 Pre-K Counts locations across Pennsylvania.
What’s needed?
84,767 eligible children in PA don’t have access to high-quality publicly-funded pre-k programs which includes Head Start (HS), Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program (HSSAP), and Pre-K Counts. An additional 8,477 pre-k classroom teachers are needed.
Advocacy:
Pre-K for PA advocates to make high-quality pre-k accessible to every three- and four-year-old in Pennsylvania. Specifically, Pre-K for PA works toward increased investments in the PKC and HSSAP line items.
Sources:Pre-K for PA. 2025. “High-Quality, Publicly Funded Pre-Kindergarten 2025.”
PA Office of the Budget 2024. “Commonwealth Budget.” Budget.PA.gov.
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What is the program/service?
Pennsylvania's Early Intervention (EI) Program provides special education and intervention services for children ages birth through five. EI includes support and services to families with children with developmental delays and disabilities. Early Intervention Programs are provided through a collaboration between the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) and the Department of Human Services (DHS).
Who provides the funded services?
Infant/Toddler Early Intervention (IDEA Part C/birth to age three): PA DHS administers funds to local DHS agencies who then administer the funds to direct service community-based programs. Eligible children may receive services in a variety of settings such as child care centers, Head Start (HS) programs, early childhood special education classrooms, or the family’s home. This allows for flexibility to meet the needs of the child and their family, as well as to maximize opportunities for learning.
Preschool Early Intervention (IDEA Part B/ages three to five): PA PDE administers funds to Local Education Agencies (LEAs) that then administer the funds to community-based programs. Eligible children may receive services in a variety of settings such as child care centers, HS programs, early childhood special education classrooms, or the family home. This allows for flexibility to meet the needs of the child and their family, as well as to maximize opportunities for learning.How much funding is there and how is it used?
Infant/Toddler Early Intervention (fiscal year 2024-2025): (birth to age three) - $194,675,000
Early Intervention (fiscal year 2024-2025): (ages three to five) - $398,863,000
Programs are funded through a combination of state funds and federal funding through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) – Early Intervention through IDEA Part C, and Early Childhood Special Education IDEA Part B. The Federal IDEA supports early intervention and special education and related services for children and youth with disabilities. This includes disbursing payments for families, insurance company payments, federal Medicaid reimbursements, and state funds.
EI also includes benefits from Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT). EPSDT provides comprehensive and preventive health care services for children under age 21 who are enrolled in Medicaid. Under this program, PA must provide eligible children with periodic screenings to determine their medical needs, including physical, mental, developmental, dental, hearing, and vision. EI programs receive some funding from EPSDT at the state level in PA.Who benefits?
118,554 children birth to age five in Part B and Part C early intervention (Fiscal Year 2023-2024).
EI services are provided at no cost to eligible children.Advocacy:
Thriving PA is a non-partisan, statewide advocacy campaign that seeks to improve the quality of and increase equitable access to a coordinated system of health supports, including access to Infant/Toddler (Part C) Early Intervention. Thriving PA is working to ensure all children in Pennsylvania with developmental delays can access Infant/Toddler (Part C) Early Intervention services and strengthen the Early Intervention workforce so all eligible children are served in a timely manner.
Sources:PA Office of the Budget 2024. “Commonwealth Budget.” Budget.PA.gov.
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What is the program/service?
Evidence-based home visiting programs in PA are funded through the federal Maternal Infant Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (MIECHV), State Family Centers, and Nurse Family Partnership. Services include in-home prevention services to support and empower families with children from birth to age five. Support is provided by trained home visitors who are typically professionals, such as early childhood educators, nurses, or patient mentors. There are eight evidence-based home visiting models operating in PA including: Child First, Family Connects, Parents as Teachers, Nurse-Family Partnership, Healthy Families America, Early Head Start-Home Based Option, SafeCare Augmented, and Family Check-Up®. This includes MIECHV funding.
Operators that provide home visitation services can use contract funds for a wide range of program expenses including operations, professional development, quality improvement, and investments in technology.Who provides the funded services?
Hospitals and clinics, and community-based organizations generally provide the services in the family’s home environment.
How much funding is there and how is it used?
PA home visiting uses a mix of federal and state General Fund dollars to support Evidence-Based Home Visiting programs.The Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program funds evidence-based home visiting programs in PA. Pennsylvania received $16.3 million in Federal MIECHV dollars for fiscal year 2024. State General Funds include:
Community-Based Family Centers (fiscal year 2024-2025): $34,558,000
This supports the implementation of evidence-based home visiting in 42 family centers serving 31 Pennsylvania counties. Family centers are designed to offer a variety of community services for parents.
Nurse Family Partnership (fiscal year 2024-2025): $14,112,000
The Nurse Family Partnership is an evidence-based home visitation program that gives first-time mothers with low-income the support necessary to provide an excellent start for their children. During pregnancy through the child’s second birthday, families receive ongoing nurse home visits conducted by a bachelor level nurse. This includes Federal Medical Assistance (Medicaid) funding.
Who benefits?
20,665 children were served by publicly funded, evidence-based home visiting programs in 2023.
What’s Needed?
312,900 (38% of all children under age six in low-income families) in PA are not served.
Advocacy:
Childhood Begins at Home educates the public about and advocates for investments in voluntary, evidence-based home visiting programs in PA.
Sources:PA Office of the Budget 2024. “Commonwealth Budget.” Budget.PA.gov.
Childhood Begins at Home. 2023. “Home Visiting Helps Children and Families Thrive.”
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What is the program/service?
The PA Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is a federally funded health and nutrition program. WIC provides supplemental foods and nutrition education at no cost, to low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum women as well as infants, and children up to age five who are determined to be at nutritional risk. All participants must be at or below 185% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) and demonstrate a medical or nutrition risk. The goal of the WIC program is to decrease the risk of poor birth outcomes and to improve the health of children during critical stages of growth and development.
Who provides the funded service?
Providers include hospitals and clinics, county health departments, and community-based settings. The PA WIC program is administered by the PA Department of Health (DOH), and operated by nonprofits and county governments, typically through clinics and local agencies.
How much funding is there and how is it used?
PA WIC was funded for $277.9 million of federal funds for Fiscal Year 2024-2025.
WIC funds primarily pay directly for participants’ food purchases. A smaller percentage of funds support breastfeeding, nutrition professionals, and administrative costs.Who benefits?
180,485 individuals are participating in the state’s WIC program as of February 2025.
What’s needed?
Total participation rate for WIC in PA is 55%, with 45% of eligible participants remaining unserved.
Advocacy:
Thriving PA seeks to improve the quality of and increase access to a coordinated system of health supports statewide. The campaign’s primary goal is to ensure each birthing person and child in PA has the opportunity for affordable, quality health care access. Thriving PA advocates for WIC through its Prenatal and Children’s Nutrition efforts. This campaign advocates for the financial stability and modernization for WIC to ensure food security and nutrition for pregnant women and young children.
Sources:Thriving PA. 2025. “Women, Infant, Children (WIC) Program Fact Sheet 2025.”
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What is the program/service?
Medicaid (also known as Medical Assistance) and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) are major public sources of health care services for pregnant women, infants, and children. Medicaid and CHIP are administered by PA Department of Human Services (DHS) and are funded jointly by the state and the federal government. Medicaid eligibility and CHIP eligibility levels are tied to income guidelines.
Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) provide health plans to recipients for both PA CHIP and Medicaid. An MCO is a health plan that is focused on managed care as a model to limit costs, while keeping the quality of care high. Nearly all populations covered by Pennsylvania’s Medicaid program are now enrolled in MCOs.Who provides the funded services?
Hospitals, clinics, and community-based settings
How much funding is there and how is it used?
CHIP spending in PA was $706.5 million in Fiscal Year (FY) 2022-2023. The state share was $221.4 million, and the federal share was $495.1 million.
For the fiscal year 2022-2023, total Medicaid spending in PA was $43.9 billion. The federal share was $27.9 billion and the state share was $16 billion.
*These totals also include eligible seniors and those with disabilities. Data on PA Medicaid funds for birthing individuals during the perinatal period are not available.Who benefits?
Across PA, children and pregnant women rely on Medicaid and the CHIP for their comprehensive health insurance. In January 2024, 1,422,761 children were enrolled in Medicaid and PA CHIP, accounting for approximately 51% of all children in Pennsylvania. Currently, 34% of all births in Pennsylvania are covered by Medicaid. Data for mothers using Medicaid during the perinatal period in PA are not available.
CHIP provides primary and preventive health care to low-income, uninsured children and youth who are not eligible for or enrolled in Medicaid. CHIP has three payment tiers that provide comprehensive coverage to children and teens up to age 19: free, low-cost, and full-cost, depending on the household income. Children are eligible for Medicaid or CHIP if their household income does not exceed 314% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL).PA Medicaid provides coverage for:
Pregnant women with income up to 215% of the FPL for 60 days following the birth of their baby. PA has committed to a (potentially temporary) extension of one year postpartum coverage through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
Children of low-income families through age 18. Children are covered up to age one if the mother is eligible for and receiving Medicaid when the child is born.
What’s needed?
In 2023, more than 147,000 children or 5.2% of all Pennsylvania children did not have health insurance. PA has the 5th highest number of uninsured children in the nation.
Advocacy:
Thriving PA aims to educate families about free or low-cost, affordable options for health insurance, as well as to encourage policymakers to expand CHIP for pregnant women and children.
Sources:Kaiser Family Foundation. 2023. “Medicaid & CHIP Indicators.”
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What is the program/service?
The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) is a federal program that reimburses meals served to participants in eligible, licensed, child care centers, home-based programs, and after school programs. Many of the children participating in CACFP live in families with low income, at or below 185% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL).
In early childhood programs (pre-kindergarten and child care), CACFP provides reimbursement for two meals (breakfast, lunch, or supper) and one snack, or one meal and two snacks each day. Before and after school programs in CACFP typically provide a snack or supper (and sometimes provide breakfast or lunch) when children are not attending school.Who provides the funded services?
Center-based child care, Home-based child care, Relative care providers, stand alone Head Start Programs, K-12 schools
How much funding is there and how is it used?
PA CACFP payments for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023-2024 were $123,692,707.
CACFP programs are eligible for reimbursement for meals served to enrolled participants, as well as technical assistance, nutrition education materials, and yearly training sessions.Who benefits?
The PA daily average attendance for FY 2023-2024 was 120,249 children.
Sources:“Child Nutrition Tables | Food and Nutrition Service.” 2024. USDA Food and Nutrition Service.
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What is the program/service?
Title I, Part A, most recently reauthorized in 2015 as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), provides financial assistance to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards.
The federal funds flow through the state education department to support K–12 schools and other local education agencies (LEAs) with a concentration of children in families with low-income receiving targeted funds under Part A (Title I).
Early childhood education is an allowable expense under the ESSA. Title I funds may be used by LEAs to fund early childhood education programs for eligible children that are subject to the performance standards of the Head Start Act.Who provides the funded services?
School districts, K-12 schools, and intermediate units
How can Title I funding support early childhood education?
Title I is not specifically for early childhood and primarily funds K-12 schools, however, school districts have flexibility in how they spend their Title I funds and can utilize it to support early childhood in various ways. This includes coordinating professional development for pre-k and kindergarten teachers, including pre-k and incoming kindergarten students in summer enrichment opportunities, engaging with families of incoming children, and supporting screening and diagnostic assessments to identify any mental health needs and to assess academic skills.
Every year a memorandum of understanding (MOU) is to be developed between the LEA and the county Head Start agency. The purpose is to establish collaborations with Head Start and to develop a plan stating how the LEA will transition children who have attended a Head Start program or other early learning program. -
What is the program/service?
The 21st CCLC establishes community learning centers with academic enrichment opportunities for students and their families. The 21st CCLC grant is authorized under, Title IV, Part B of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and reauthorized by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015.
How can CCLC funding support early childhood education?
CCLC after school programs that serve elementary school age students work with children in their early childhood years (early childhood is inclusive of birth through age nine). Although 21st CCLC is not explicitly for early childhood education, the programming impacts the system in which providers and families with young children operate as well as the child’s developmental continuum.
Who provides the funded service?
The 21st CCLCs, administered by PA Department of Education (PDE), can be established by many entities. Grantees can include public school districts, charter schools, private schools, nonprofits, city or county government agencies, faith-based organizations, institutions of higher education, Indian tribes or tribal organizations, and for-profit corporations.
How much funding is there and how is it used?
In September, 2023, the most recent cohort, cohort 12, opened for application. The 5-year grant period is anticipated from March 1, 2024 through February 28, 2029. PDE received approximately $25 million available for Cohort 12 grants. Grants awards are between $50,000 and $600,000.
Programming must occur during non-school hours or periods when school is not in session. The goal of the CCLCs is to help students from high-poverty and low-performing schools to meet standards in core subjects. The 21st CCLC grant is federally funded and administered by PA PDE. The most recent grantees for CCLCs were awarded for a five year period of July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2024.
Who benefits?
PDE is currently administering 21st CCLC grants to three cohorts of awardees. Each grant award is for five consecutive years. Funding is contingent on the continued availability of funding from the federal government and satisfactory performance.
In the 2023-24 program year, Pennsylvania had 145 grantees across three funding cohorts: Cohort 9 (32 grantees operating through September 30, 2024), Cohort 10 (67 grantees), and Cohort 11 (46 grantees).
28,924 students were reported as being served across the grantees. Grantees were primarily schools, school districts, charter schools, career/technical schools (46%) and community-based or nonprofit organizations (40%).
What’s needed?
21st CCLC grants are the only federal funding source for local communities’ afterschool and summer programs. In PA, 2 out of every 7 applications cannot be funded, and for every one student in afterschool, three more students would participate if a program were available.
State level funding
In January 2025, the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency’s (PCCD) announced $11.6 million in grants through the Building Opportunity through Out-of-School Time (BOOST) program. 46 grant recipients across the Commonwealth will use the funding to strengthen out-of-school time programs for at-risk school-age children. Safe, educational, and developmentally appropriate out-of-school time options are vital for school-age children and their families.
Sources:Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. 2024. “21st Century Community Learning Centers 2024-29 Cohort 12.”