Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato and Heinz Endowments President Chris DeCardy announced nearly $6 million in new funding today to expand child care and out-of-school-time programs across Allegheny County.
The funding contributes to the county’s “Forward with Families” initiative, which aims to create 5,000 new child care and out-of-school-time slots over the next five years.
Local leaders announced the investment at the Carlow Early Learning Center following a tour of the facility. The initial round of funding is expected to support up to 1,000 new slots.
The financial package includes $3 million from The Heinz Endowments, $400,000 already invested by Allegheny County in 2026 and $2.5 million proposed by Innamorato in the 2027 county budget.
Allegheny County Executive Innamorato established the “Forward with Families” initiative in April 2026 to address child care shortages affecting local parents.
“When we launched Forward with Families in April, we set an ambitious goal: to create 5,000 new child care and out-of-school-time slots across Allegheny County over the next five years,” Innamorato said. “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 toward meeting our goal of 5,000 new child care and out-of-school-time slots.”
Heinz Endowments DeCardy highlighted the broader economic impact of child care accessibility during the announcement. “When families cannot find care, parents leave the workforce or opt out of advancement opportunities, often at the most important point in their careers,” DeCardy said. “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.”
Becky Mercatoris, director of the Allegheny County Department of Children Initiatives, detailed how the lack of services impacts local employers and families.
“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,” Mercatoris said. “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.”
Federal lawmakers are also pursuing additional funds to support the county initiative. U.S. Rep. Summer Lee has requested federal assistance for Western Pennsylvania 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,” Lee said. “Something has got to give. I’m proud to stand with County Executive 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.”
More details regarding the distribution of the grant awards will be made available in early 2027.
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