Early childhood education takes center stage in Franklin County
2026 has been declared the Year of the Young Child in Franklin County.
This proclamation was made by the Franklin County Commissioners, who joined forces with First Start Partnerships for Children and Families Inc. and other local organizations to emphasize the importance of early childhood education, according to a community announcement.
Franklin County Commissioner Chairman Dean Horst stressed the significance of supporting young children and their educators.
“Franklin County’s future is dependent upon our children, and for that reason it’s important that we as community leaders do our part to make sure they have a strong start in life,” Horst said in the announcement. “It’s also critical that we support and advocate for qualified, dependable educators who have such an impact on kids in their formative years.”
Need for high-quality childcare
Franklin County is home to more than 9,000 children younger than the age of 5. With 70% of their parents working outside the home, the need for accessible and high-quality childcare is evident.
Despite having 61 childcare providers in the county, only 10% are considered “high quality” by Keystone STARS, Pennsylvania’s Quality Rating and Improvement System. Only four other counties in the state have a lower rating than Franklin County, according to the announcement.
The situation is even more challenging for infants and toddlers, as high-quality childcare programs for this age group are almost non-existent. Fewer than a third of Franklin County children living in poverty have access to high-quality pre-K programs.
Statewide data shows the impact of childcare challenges on families. About 27% of Pennsylvania parents have had to quit a job due to childcare problems, and 38% have turned down new job offers for the same reason, according to the announcement.
Efforts to improve early childhood education
First Start Partnerships for Children and Families Inc., a local nonprofit, has been working to address these issues. The organization improved its programming quality and recently became the first in Franklin County, aside from the Letterkenny Army Depot federally mandated program, to achieve National Association of Education of Young Children accreditation, according to the announcement.
In an effort to retain skilled educators, First Start Partnerships increased master and lead teacher salaries by 32% to match those of kindergarten teachers in area school districts. This move has resulted in an 84% or higher year-over-year retention rate over the past eight years, creating consistent learning environments for children, according to the announcement..
To enhance access to high-quality education, First Start Partnerships opened 14 full-day classrooms in the Chambersburg Area School District, including two classrooms specifically for infants and toddlers. The organization plans to replicate this model in other school districts as federal and state funding become available.
Call to action
While these improvements are a step in the right direction, the Franklin County Commissioners recognize the need for more work.
By proclaiming 2026 as the Year of the Young Child, the commissioners are calling on all residents to support efforts that increase children’s and families’ access to high-quality early childhood education and to appreciate the crucial role those working in the early childcare and education profession have on children.
This story was created by Janis Reeser, [email protected] with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at
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