County Executive Innamorato Announces Nearly $6 Million in New Funding to Increase Child Care Slots in Allegheny County
PITTSBURGH – Today Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato was joined by Heinz Endowments President Chris DeCardy to announce millions of dollars of new funding to increase child care and out-of-school-time slots as part of Allegheny County’s “Forward with Families” initiatives. The announcement was held at the Carlow Early Learning Center where local leaders toured the center following the press conference. The funding announcement included:
- $3 Million from the Heinz Endowments
- $2.5 Million proposed by the County Executive in the 2027 County budget
- $400,000 already invested by the County in 2026
County Executive Innamorato announced Forward with Families in April 2026 with a goal of generating 5,000 new child care and out-of-school-time slots over the next five years in Allegheny County. This initial round of funding is anticipated to fill up to the first 1,000 slots. More details on the award distribution will be available early in 2027.
County Executive Innamorato said: “When we launched Forward with Families in April, we set an ambitious goal: to create 5,000 new childcare and out-of-school-time slots across Allegheny County over the next five years. We set that goal because working families are doing everything right but still struggling to find adequate child care options so their kids are safe and thriving while parents continue their careers. I want to thank The Heinz Endowments for stepping up with such a major investment into the critical infrastructure of child care. Today’s announcement is an exciting step towards meeting our goal of 5,000 new childcare and out-of-school-time slots.”
“When families cannot find care, parents leave the workforce or opt out of advancement opportunities, often at the most important point in their careers,” said Heinz Endowments President Chris DeCardy. “Our investment in the region’s child care infrastructure is designed to build supply that lasts well beyond the life of the grant. We hope our commitment to the Forward with Families initiative will encourage other public and private funders to join the County in this work.”
County Department of Children Initiatives Director Becky Mercatoris said: “We know what happens when child care infrastructure isn’t there, and it has a multi-dimensional impact: Parents who want to work can’t take a job or increase their hours. Employers struggle to recruit and retain workers. Families face impossible choices about what they can afford. That is what Forward with Families is about. We are not just trying to add more slots. We are working to strengthen the entire system that makes quality child care and out-of-school-time programming possible, from supporting providers to building the workforce pipeline and expanding options for families.”
“A single parent in Pennsylvania earning the median income would have to spend 40% of that income just to put one infant in child care, before they've paid rent or bought a single grocery. Something has got to give,” said Congresswoman Summer Lee. “I'm proud to stand with County Executive Sara Innamorato and our community partners in this effort to expand child care for families across Western Pennsylvania. And I'm proud that my office has already taken an important step toward bringing $2 million in federal funding home for Forward with Families by getting our request included in a committee-approved appropriations package. There's still work to be done, and I'll keep fighting to make sure every family has access to the affordable, quality child care they need and deserve.”
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