Child Care Access in Rural Pennsylvania

MEDIA ADVISORY

Public Hearing on Child Care Access in Rural Pennsylvania

What: The Center for Rural Pennsylvania Board of Directors, Center staff, and other state and local officials and stakeholders, are holding a public hearing in Schuylkill County to address access to child care in rural Pennsylvania.

Who:
The Center for Rural Pennsylvania Board of Directors

• Senator Gene Yaw, Chair
• Representative Eddie Day Pashinski, Vice Chair
• Dr. Nancy Falvo, Pennsylvania Western University Clarion, Secretary
• Mr. Stephen M. Brame, Governor's Representative, Treasurer
• Senator Judy Schwank
• Representative Dan Moul
• Mr. Richard Esch, University of Pittsburgh
• Dr. Timothy Kelsey, Pennsylvania State University
• Ms. Shannon M. Munro, Pennsylvania College of Technology
• Dr. Charles Patterson, Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania
• Ms. Susan Snelick, Northern Pennsylvania Regional College
• Mr. Darrin Youker, Governor's Representative

Expected Speakers:

• Andrea Heberlein, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Early Learning Investment Commission (Testimony)
• Dr. Leah Spangler, President and CEO, The Learning Lamp and Ignite Education Solutions (Testimony)
• Natalie Renew, Executive Director, Home Grown (Testimony)
• Karen Grimm-Thomas, Early Childhood Education Strategy Advisor, The Pennsylvania Key (Testimony)
• Robert S. Carl, Jr., President and CEO, Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce (Testimony) ( Schuylkill County Child Care Impact Report )
• Samantha Chivinski, Executive Vice President, Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce (Testimony)
• Mary Ann Devlin, Executive Director, Child Development, Inc. (Testimony)
• Michelle Dallago, Director and Head of School, Perception Early Learning, Montessori (Testimony)
• Kim Bastian, Regional Advocacy Program Ambassador, Pennsylvania Child Care Association (Testimony)

Written Testimony:

• Steve Doster, State Director, ReadyNation (Testimony)
• Gina Cappel, Director, Jerusalem Child Care and Early Learning Center (Testimony)
• Katie Hetherington-Cunfer, Director of Government and Community Relations, Greater Reading Chamber Alliance (Testimony)
• Holli Zelinsky, The Doodle Bug Preschool and Daycare Center (Testimony)
• Jill Simons, Co-owner, Sisters Early Learning Center (Testimony)
• Laura Manion, President, Chester County Chamber of Business and Industry (Testimony)

When: Monday, March 11, 10:00 a.m.
View agenda and testimony.

Where: Schuylkill Technology Center - South Campus, Conference Room, 15 Maple Ave., Mar Lin, PA, 17951

Livestream: www.SenatorGeneYaw.com and www.SenatorArgall.com.

Contact: Katie Park, Communications Manager, Center for Rural Pennsylvania, (717) 787-9555, kpark@rural.pa.gov

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania is a bipartisan, bicameral legislative agency that serves as a resource for rural policy within the Pennsylvania General Assembly. The Center works with the legislature, educators, state and federal executive branch agencies, and national, statewide, regional and local organizations to maximize resources and strategies that can better serve Pennsylvania's nearly 3.4 million rural residents.