by: Gabriel Thomas
Posted on Nov 19, 2024 / 2:42 PM EST
York, PA – The York County Economic Alliance and Community Connections for Children (ECHO) hosted an education spotlight breakfast to address the need for educators.
This comes after the area saw a significant decrease in early childhood educators, which has not only affected parents and their children but educators as well.
According to the York Economic Alliance, ECHO was launched in 2024 as a result of the crisis in early childhood education.
Pre-pandemic, York County had 221 early childhood educators, but within the past three years, that number decreased to 170.
Teachers who were able to sustain the pandemic now have an average of 85% when it comes to enrollment due to teacher shortages.
Waitlists for these education programs average from 50-75 children and many programs in the area have limited the number of children on their list.
The breakfast featured a host of speakers and organizations who offered resources for families and training opportunities for educators.
