YORK COUNTY, Pa. — Grants awarded through the Every Child Has Opportunities (ECHO) Initiative are expected to help educate hundreds more York County children and hire more early childhood educators, the York County Economic Alliance and Community Connections for Children announced today.
The Initiative was launched in early 2024 and exists to increase access to high-quality, affordable childcare throughout York County, organizers said. They project that the nearly $1 million in recent grants will help see approximately 500 additional York County children served with high-quality early childhood education and 75 new early childhood educators hired.
There were two different types of grants awarded:
- ECHO BLOOM Start Up Home Based Provider Grant: Available through the BLOOM Business Empowerment Center, an extension of the YCEA, seven start-up entrepreneurs received a total of $140,000, funded by private dollars through the ECHO Initiative, for new PA Department of Human Services (DHS) Certified home-based early childhood education businesses across York County.
- ECHO Innovation Grants: Available through Community Connections for Children, 19 early childhood education providers have been selected to receive a total of $818,000 in grants, funded by private dollars through the ECHO Initiative, for innovative projects that expand the number of children and families served and increase the quality of care and education provided.
“The ECHO Initiative and this inaugural round of BLOOM and Innovation grant awards will have a historic impact in York County. Access to high-quality early childhood education is essential for the health of our local economy. These awards will have a direct impact on children, families and early childhood educators here in our community, along with our colleagues, neighbors, and York County employers,” said Katie Caples, ECHO director, in a press release.
ECHO was created in direct response to the crisis in early childhood education faced in York County, Pennsylvania and across the county, organizers said. In 2020, pre-pandemic, York County had 221 early childhood education providers. In three years, that number dropped to 170, according to the YCEA. Those that survived the pandemic are operating on average at 85% of typical enrollment due to teacher and workforce shortages. Early childhood education program waitlists average 50-75 children, and many have stopped adding to their lists.
Pennsylvania suffers a $3.47 billion impact due to childcare issues in lost tax revenue and employer costs, officials said. And 54% of employers in Pennsylvania said one of the most significant reasons they lost employees was due to childcare issues. According to American Progress, in Pennsylvania, 57% of all residents live in a childcare desert, defined as an area where there are more than three times as many children as licensed childcare slots.
Awardees include:
ECHO BLOOM Start Up Home Based Provider Grant
- Babydumplins - West Manchester Twp
- BluePrint to Success Daycare and Learning Center LLC - Manchester Twp
- The God Answer - City of York
- Happy Faces by Noelia - City of York
- Marisela’s Garden Babysitting Service - Springettsbury Twp
- Miss Jess Minis -Jackson Twp
- The Aunt Daycare LLC - City of York
ECHO Innovation Grants
- Creative Kids Daycare II - Dover Twp
- Crispus Attucks Association - City of York
- Daisy Hill Daycare -Windsor Twp
- First Church of the Brethren Child Development Center -Springettsbury Twp
- Hanover Area YMCA - Hanover Boro
- Inspiring Imaginations Home Child Care -Goldsboro Boro
- Jack and Jill Nursery Inc -Spring Garden Twp
- Kidsville Junction -Fawn Twp
- Lisa Strong's Family Daycare -Chanceford Twp
- New Creation Station - Dover Twp
- Small Steps Day Care School Inc - Springettsbury Twp
- The School District of the City of York - City of York
- Tyniquea Smith Family Home Daycare - City of York
- Valerie Davis Family Daycare - City of York
- WeeConnect - Early Learning Center - Spring Garden Twp
- York Day Early Learning - City of York and Windsor Twp
- York Jewish Community Center - York Township
- YWCA of Hanover Day Care - Hanover Boro
- YWCA York - City of York and West Manchester Twp
