The child care and preschool industry got several fund increases in this year’s Pennsylvania state budget. The money comes as the industry struggles to retain workers.

Day cares across the state have limited availability for working parents because their own workers are paid lower than most box store jobs. Existing programs got a budget boost, but it was less than what Governor Josh Shapiro proposed back in February. During negotiations, Senate Republican Leader Sen. Joe Pittman questioned if the demand for child care was as intense as the industry says.

The preschool programs Head Start and Pre-K Counts got a combined 8% increase in funding ($2.7 million for Head Start and $15 million for Pre-K Counts).

Child Care Services got a $26.2 million (or 10%) increase, which will go towards the program Child Care Works. The program reimburses past of the cost of day care tuition for low income families. The 10% increase gets the state to a 75% reimbursement rate, which is what the federal government has set as the goal minimum standard for states.

There was also a tax credit passed for businesses that help pay for their employees child care.

Human Services Secretary Val Arkoosh says the more families get reimbursed, the more families will participate in the industry, which will hopefully lead to pay increases for child care workers.

“Many of these folks [child care workers] right now are making around $13 an hour. And these are folks with master's degrees and early childhood development. You know, a really, really highly skilled, dedicated workforce that needs to be making a higher salary,” said Arkoosh.

Advocacy group Pre-K for PA said in a press release that the state needs funds specific to workforce growth, not just higher reimbursement rates.