By Katie Caples
Community Connections for Children (CCC) and York County Economic Alliance (YCEA), the leading organizations of Every Child Has Opportunities (ECHO), are proud to announce that Early Childhood Educator has officially been recognized as a High Priority Occupation (HPO) in the South Central Pennsylvania Region.
The designation approved by the South Central Workforce Development Board in August, acknowledges that early childhood education is not only essential to child development, but also to economic vitality. As a High Priority Occupation, the early childhood field is now eligible for future workforce funding initiatives, including tuition assistance, paid training programs, capacity-building grants, and educator pipeline development.
This achievement, made possible through a successful application submitted by CCC, marks a significant milestone in workforce development for the early learning sector. The HPO designation formally recognizes Early Childhood Education, identified by the Workforce Investment Board as Preschool Teachers and Childcare Workers, as in-demand, critical careers and unlocks access to workforce training funds, paid apprenticeships, tuition assistance, and career development supports.
“This is a huge win for educators, families, and programs across out region,” said Kim Hengst, ECHO Workforce Development Coordinator of Community Connections for Children. “It validates what we’ve always known – that early childhood educators are essential to both our economy and the well-being of our children.”
With this designation, future opportunities may include:
- Support for Child Development Associate (CDA) credentialing
- Expansion of apprenticeship programs like the ECHO Teacher Aide Program
- Enhanced access to training and career pathways in early childhood education
Early childhood education programs can also benefit from increased access to staff training supports, recruitment pipelines, and funding that helps grow and stabilize the childcare workforce.
“The ECHO Teacher Aide Program is a proven model for growing high-quality educators through paid, supported pathways,” said Katie Caples, ECHO Director. “Now, with the HPO designation, our region has even more tools to elevate and sustain this critical workforce.”
ECHO was launched in 2024 in direct response to the crisis in early childhood education faced in York County, our Commonwealth, and our nation. In 2020, pre-pandemic, York County had 221 early childhood education providers. In three years, that number dropped to 170. 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 $6.65 billion impact due to childcare issues in lost tax revenue and employer costs. Over half of employers in PA said one of the most significant reasons they lost employees was due to childcare issues. According to American Progress, in Pennsylvania, 57 percent 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.
ECHO is administered by Community Connections for Children (CCC) and the York County Economic Alliance (YCEA) with philanthropic support from J. William Warehime Foundation, Powder Mill Foundation, WellSpan Health, United Way of York County, York County Community Foundation, and Kinsley Foundation.
For more information on how to participate in or support this workforce initiative, visit our websites, www.echoyork.org and www.cccforpa.org, or contact Katie Caples at kcaples@cccforpa.org.
