Preschool Program to be Suspended

With the Pennsylvania budget impasse, leaders of Community Action Southwest made the difficult decision to suspend operations of a state funded preschool program. Pre-K Counts, a program with 190 children enrolled in Washington and Greene counties, is not in the state budget at this time, and Community Action Southwest Chief Executive Officer Darlene Bigler says they wanted to take precautions. Effective August 13, 23 staff members will be laid off, and contracts with five child care centers will be suspended.

She says she has bigger concerns with what the suspension could lead to.

“Parents relying upon that Pre-K program for childcare while they work will be a major issue,” Bigler says. “Parents are going to need to find alternative care, and if they can’t, it may mean that parents ultimately have to leave their jobs.”

The suspension will be lifted if the state budget passes with full funding. While Bigler says they are hopeful of it, they are not overly optimistic.