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Philadelphia plans teacher-recruitment hub and higher payments for pre-K providers
Philadelphia plans to raise per-child payments to its free pre-K providers beginning in January 2027, while creating a hiring hub to help centers find educators. The plans address staffing and cost pressures, but officials have not said how much extra funding centers will receive or how the city will sustain the increase over time.
Philadelphia plans to increase payments to its free pre-K providers starting in January 2027, bringing the city’s per-child rate in line with the state’s reimbursement rate, Mayor Cherelle Parker said Thursday. Officials have not specified how much additional funding each center will receive.
The city also plans to establish a workforce recruitment and hiring hub to help preschool centers find qualified teachers and reduce the administrative and financial costs of hiring, including expenses tied to clearances and advertising.
Philadelphia’s free pre-K program, funded through the city’s soda tax, serves more than 5,000 children at 238 centers. Providers have struggled to recruit and retain educators as they face rising costs and difficulty offering competitive pay and benefits.
At Children Play House in South Philadelphia, director Katrina Schofield said compensation and benefits do not match the demands of providing high-quality early education. She said centers are essential for children’s development and help families work or continue their education while their children receive care and meals.
Parker said the hiring hub is intended to streamline recruitment and ease the burden on providers. But Schofield said hiring assistance by itself will not address retention: centers also need the resources to offer teachers stronger compensation and benefits.
The city plans to use money added to its budget to increase provider payments, but the longer-term funding remains unsettled. City Council President Kenyatta Johnson said he is committed to finding a lasting source of support for the program.