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Providers and advocates warn that cuts to PHL Pre-K would harm families, call for providers to be at funding talks
Summary
PHILADELPHIA ' Early-childhood educators, nonprofit operators and advocates told the Labor Committee that PHL Pre-K and related investments are "lifelines" for families and local economies and asked that providers be included in any discussion of funding alternatives.
PHILADELPHIA ' Early-childhood educators, nonprofit operators and advocates told the Labor Committee that PHL Pre-K and related investments are "lifelines" for families and local economies and asked that providers be included in any discussion of funding alternatives.
Rosanna Matos of First Up, a citywide early-childhood advocacy group, told the committee: "This program is more about just education. It's about stability. It's about equity, and it's a lifesaver." She and other witnesses described how the program enables parents to work and creates business for local child-care providers.
Dr. Charles Coe, founder and executive director of Incredible Kids Learning Center, said 0-to-5 programs identify disabilities and provide early interventions. "Programs like mine's... feed families," he said, describing emergency food supports and housing assistance his organization provided during the pandemic.
Zakiyah Boone, chief executive of WonderSpring Early Education, urged a cross-sector table that includes educators, businesses and philanthropy to design sustainable funding that will not destabilize existing seats: "No one here is discounting the importance of pre k. What I am going to say ... is my phone number is (610) 733-1857. For the record, I am more than happy to convene all parties to find stable funding to increase pre k in the city of Philadelphia."
Providers asked the committee to protect the current seats and warned that reducing funding would reduce workforce participation, harm neighborhood centers and exacerbate staffing and wage pressures in the sector.
Why it matters: Providers emphasized that PHL Pre-K serves as both social infrastructure and economic infrastructure: it supports early learning while enabling parents to join or remain in the workforce. Any funding redesign would need to account for provider stability, licensing and staffing costs, and the long-term developmental benefits to children.
Sources: Testimony from Rosanna Matos (First Up), Dr. Charles Coe (Incredible Kids Learning Center), Zakiyah Boone (WonderSpring) and other early-childhood operators at the hearing.
