HARRISBURG, PA — State officials on Wednesday marked the opening of an expanded on-site child care center in the Capitol Complex, a move designed to help Commonwealth employees balance work and family life while strengthening Pennsylvania’s public workforce.
Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis joined senior officials from the Departments of Administration and General Services and the Public Utility Commission at the Keystone Early Learning Center to celebrate the ribbon-cutting of a newly expanded facility that significantly increases child care capacity for state employees.
The expansion adds space for 68 additional children, bringing the center’s total capacity to 162. Officials said the project responds to growing demand among Commonwealth employees with young children and reflects the administration’s broader effort to recruit and retain workers by improving access to reliable, affordable child care where they work.
The expanded Keystone Early Learning Center is located in the Keystone Building and is operated by TodayCare Children’s Centers. The Public Utility Commission, which is headquartered in the building, serves as the sponsoring agency. The center is open to eligible children of Commonwealth employees in the executive, legislative, and judicial branches.
State leaders said the project aligns with Governor Josh Shapiro’s 2025–26 budget priorities, which include addressing child care worker shortages and expanding availability for working families. The budget also established a $25 million Child Care Staff Recruitment and Retention Program to provide roughly $450 bonuses to staff at licensed Child Care Works providers statewide.
Officials noted that dependable child care is a critical factor in attracting and keeping skilled employees in public service, particularly as the Commonwealth competes with the private sector for talent. The administration has emphasized a coordinated, multi-agency approach to improving child care access both for state workers and families across Pennsylvania.
The project nearly doubled the center’s footprint, adding about 6,200 square feet to the existing 6,700-square-foot facility. Construction included new classrooms, a full kitchen serving both wings of the center, and an indoor play area. The total cost of the expansion was approximately $4.1 million.
The opening continues a long history of workplace child care initiatives within state government, which date back to the 1980s. Additional information about careers and benefits with the Commonwealth is available at https://www.employment.pa.gov.
For the latest news on everything happening in Chester County and the surrounding area, be sure to follow MyChesCo on Google News and MSN.