HARRISBURG, Pa. -- Gov. Tom Wolf signed the new state budget last week, which includes a historic $416 million increase in public-education funding.

While the investment was praised by some, child-care providers say the budget missed the mark in their field. They also want to ensure the $1.2 billion dollars the state received from the American Rescue Plan for child-care centers gets to them as soon as possible.

Jen DeBell, executive director of the Pennsylvania Association for the Education of Young Children, said child-care line items got no state-budget increases despite being devastated by the pandemic, so the federal funds are critical.

"We've seen almost 700 programs close, and more than 360 are still temporarily closed," DeBell observed. "So, we don't want to see those numbers driven up because the money isn't going out quick enough."

Some areas she'd like to see receive increased funding include hiring or retention bonuses to help centers build back staff lost in the pandemic. DeBell noted the average child-care teacher in Pennsylvania makes $10.69 an hour.

Nancy Frederick, director of The Learning Center at Third Street Alliance, a child-care center in Northampton County, said they've been struggling to hire teachers, making it difficult to increase classroom size to meet the growing need.

She argued government support is necessary for them to increase pay and offer teachers a living wage, and stressed the importance of high-quality early learning.

"I think the state and federal support financially there would be greatly put into use," Frederick asserted. "Because they are really getting students early on, where they can make a difference and build those connections before they even go to the public school, or whatever school they go to once they are the age of five or six."

Frederick added she also hopes to see funds for expanding what's known as the Infant/Toddler Contracted Slots Program, which provides free child care for children of eligible families, up to age three.

New research shows kids in child care aren't more likely to exhibit behavior problems than other children.

The study, published in the journal Child Development, looked at data from seven studies including more than 10,000 toddlers and preschoolers in five nations.

Researchers looked at the number of hours per week children were in care settings and reported they found no greater likelihood of problem behaviors - such as hitting, kicking, biting, fighting or bullying - with a greater quantity of time spent in care.

Doug Lent, communications director for the nonprofit Maryland Family Network, said quality is the most important consideration for parents when looking for child care.

"In a quality child-care setting, a child-care provider knows how to address some of the aggressive behaviors," said Lent. "They've attended in Maryland at least 90 hours of early childhood education training, and they're familiar with what's healthy, what's not, and where to go for help if a child is acting out."

The study looked at existing research compiled between 1993 and 2012 in Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Canada and the United States.

Accessing high-quality child care in the other countries in the study is comparatively easy versus the U.S.

The EU average expenditure is around $6,000 per child. The U.S. spends about half that, and Lent said we should be doing more.

"In an ideal world, every parent who needs it in the United States would have access to high-quality child care," said Lent. "And we can do that by expanding the existing child-care scholarship funds, which we have done successfully here in Maryland, and expanding pre-K to more families would go a long way to making that care accessible to more families."

The Maryland child-care scholarship income limits were increased in 2022, such that now a family of 4 earning $90,000 a year can still qualify for help.

Maryland Family Networks can help with the Child Care Scholarship application at no cost to parents.

Lent said another service they provide is called "locate child care," which in addition to offering a list of quality care providers assists parents in knowing what to look for.

"We will spend as much time with parents as they need, to - first of all - help them understand what to look for in a quality child-care setting," said Lent. "What questions to ask that provider, and how to identify what's best for your child."

Find out more online at marylandfamilynetwork.org.

As a way to reward those who have stayed in the child care field, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services is offering $66 million in stipends and loan repayment grants to workers with at least six continuous months at a licensed child care facility in the state.

The state is using federal coronavirus funds for the grants.

In a survey of 750 Nebraska child care employers this year, 90% said they've had trouble finding and keeping workers. The average hourly wage in child care is $12.31 an hour, and many positions are part-time with no benefits.

Ashley Palumbo, a child care worker in Omaha, said although the state has not announced the grant amounts, it is a step in the right direction.

"I mean just the appreciation out the door that's something they are considering to help us financially, especially lately, means a lot," Palumbo explained. "I live paycheck to paycheck, so any sort of help definitely helps me and my kids out."

Applications will be accepted from Dec. 5 to Jan. 11.

In the same survey, 70% of child care employers also said some of their workers are leaving the field entirely. Palumbo noted she has no plans to change fields, although some find her choice hard to understand.

"Most of my interactions with people in my close life just don't seem to get why I stay in a profession that doesn't help out as much as easier areas can," Palumbo acknowledged.

Heather Schmidt, a home child care center owner-operator in Broken Bow, hopes both she and her employee will be awarded a stipend. Schmidt added she also plans to apply for the loan repayment grant.

"We're some of the lowest-paid workers in the state and the nation," Schmidt stressed. "Which they're always advocating for us to increase our education, but then it's really hard to pay back those loans."

Full- and part-time licensed child care employees can apply, from teachers to kitchen staff. Those who have earned higher degrees will be eligible for higher awards.

As the nation processes the horrific shooting in Uvalde, where 19 children and two teachers were killed, teachers' unions across Illinois and America are pushing lawmakers, for stricter gun control measures and mental health support for teachers and students.

Kathi Griffin, president of the Illinois Education Association (IEA), which represents about 135,000 teachers and education support staff across the state, explained the effect on schools.

"Anytime someone is injured in school or killed at the hand of another, it is heartbreaking," Griffin stated. "And it isn't just the teachers, it is our kids. On top of the trauma of the pandemic."

In 2019, the IEA helped push through the general assembly the School Threat Assessment law, requiring schools to build threat assessments and take a preventive approach to school violence.

Griffin pointed out the National Education Association offers trauma training for teachers, which can in turn help students.

The Economic Policy Institute estimates America's supply of teachers will be 200,000 below its projected demand by 2025.

Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, spoke to a congressional subcommittee Wednesday. She said counseling, mental health support, and investments in "community schools," which integrate academics, health and social supports, will help keep teachers in education.

"Full-service community schools will actually help kids and help teachers teach and identify problems that we see before we see these kinds of awful situations that we saw last night," Weingarten contended.

Illinois has long struggled with gun violence, in part due to gun trafficking from states with looser gun rules. According to Chicago's 2017 gun trace report, about six of 10 guns recovered after a crime in the previous three years came from outside the state, mostly from neighboring Indiana.