Latest News from State Capitol and 55th District

October 16, 2025

Eliminating the Child Care Cliff

Juggling responsibilities for families can be overwhelming. In addition to building a strong sense of family, based on love and warmth, parents also focus on their children’s health, education and emotional well-being. 
 
But for working parents, there is the additional balancing act of meeting the most immediate, day-to-day financial concerns. The cost of child care can be an anchor, weighing down financial stability and forcing a working parent to have to choose between day care service and advancing their career.

That’s why the recent passage of House Bill 1108 in Pennsylvania, which I proudly supported, is a meaningful step toward easing the burden on working families and ensuring access to quality child care.

For too long, the “child care cliff” has threatened parents who are striving to climb the economic ladder. This cliff refers to a flawed system where a modest pay raise—sometimes just a few dollars more per hour—could push a family out of eligibility for subsidized child care. This often forces parents to choose between accepting a better-paying job or losing access to affordable child care. It’s time to reverse this lose-lose scenario.

House Bill 1108 addresses this head-on by establishing slight increases in the co-payments paid by families enrolled in the program, rather than ending their eligibility completely. This aligns Pennsylvania with updated federal rules on child care co-payments. 

Overall, the bill proposes to help working parents pursue career advancement without the fear of losing such a critical support. When arranging their family budget, one of their largest priorities will remain affordable and predictable.

For me, Harrisburg policies should reflect a commitment to supporting working families, recognizing that access to reliable, affordable child care is an economic imperative because benefits of these policies reach beyond these families. When parents have access to stable child care, they can focus on their careers. In turn, they’ll earn more and spend more, driving economic growth within our communities. Employers will have less turnover and have a more reliable workforce.

For children, nurturing environments that support their early development will pay dividends for years to come. Studies consistently show that quality early education leads to better academic outcomes, higher graduation rates and even lower rates of incarceration. By investing in child care, we’re investing in our communities and our future.

Nationally, child care costs can consume 20-30% of a family’s income, far exceeding what many can afford. In Pennsylvania, the average annual cost of center-based child care for a toddler is over $12,000 – more than in-state college tuition in many cases.

The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration. 

Child care programs are among the eligible beneficiaries of a loan program created by Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity. With the state budget more than 100 days late and funding withheld from many services and programs, many providers and county governments have experienced a significant drop in funding, resulting in furloughed staff and cuts to important services. 

Through a short-term investment loan program, Treasurer Garrity made $500 million available for Head Start providers, county governments, as well as domestic violence prevention and rape survivor support groups. Earlier this month, the Senate passed legislation that would allow the Treasury to forgive the interest on the loans. 

It’s terribly unfortunate that the budget process remains stalled. Earlier this summer, the Senate passed a proposal to carry over the 2024-25 budget of $47.6 billion to this year. Such a plan would have allowed funding to be allocated to these important programs while negotiations continued. 

When that plan came to the House, however, Democrat leaders did not allow the consideration of that bill until last week, when it was amended to an unaffordable $50.25 billion budget. The revised legislation must now go back to the Senate, further slowing the process. 

As a member of the House minority party, my commitment is to make certain that my priorities are clear – I will only support a budget that invests responsibly in Pennsylvania’s core services but does not overspend or set us up for future tax increases. 

Here are some additional news topics and reminders I would like to share.

DCNR to Host Virtual Workshop for Recreation, Conservation Grant Program - The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) will host a free, virtual grant workshop next month for those seeking funding assistance for a new park, trail or conservation project.

The workshop will be held Thursday, Nov. 6, from 9 a.m. to noon., and is especially suited for local governments, nonprofits and community groups interested in applying for funding through the 2026 Community Conservation Partnerships Program.

The workshop is free, but pre-registration is required to ensure participants receive needed materials. To register, visit the DCNR Calendar of Events at events.dcnr.pa.gov.

A recording will be made available on the DCNR YouTube channel for those who cannot participate.

Ways to Protect Yourself Online - October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Online safety is about more than just your computer. It helps safeguard personal information, finances, workplaces and more. Here are steps you can take to stay safe online:

Keep Software Updated: Updates protect your devices from the newest threats. Turn on automatic updates in your phone, computer and apps so you don’t forget. 

Use Strong Passwords: A strong password is long (16 characters or more) and includes a mix of letters, numbers and symbols. Never reuse the same password on different accounts.

Use a Password Manager: A password manager creates and stores strong passwords for you, so you can use a unique one for every account without having to remember them all. It also helps protect against fake login pages by only filling in your password when the website address is correct, giving you a warning if something looks suspicious.

Turn on Multifactor Authentication (MFA): MFA adds a second step when signing in, like entering a code from your phone or tapping a fingerprint. Turn it on for your email, bank, social media and shopping accounts.

Watch Out for Phishing: Be alert for fake emails or texts that try to trick you into clicking links or sharing personal information. Signs include urgent messages (“Your account will be closed!”), misspelled addresses (like “Amaz0n.com”), or requests for personal info. When in doubt, delete the message and contact the company directly.
 

Representative Jill Cooper
55th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Jordan Frei
724.875.8450
jfrei@pahousegop.com
RepJillCooper.com / Facebook.com/RepJillCooper