Child care in Pennsylvania is expensive. Just one child in day care costs about 40% of the median household income of single-parent households in the commonwealth.
When affordability is on everyone’s mind, we can’t overlook the opportunity to reduce one of the largest expenses for young families.
Day care is expensive because it is a people-intensive business that requires significant staffing. But that doesn’t explain why care for an infant is on average $1,130 less in neighboring Ohio. The difference is Pennsylvania’s extensive red tape and lack of freedom for day care centers.
According to the Archbridge Institute’s 2026 State Childcare Regulations Index, Pennsylvania ranks 48th for child care freedom. Child care freedom refers to the flexibility of providers to meet the unique needs of the families they serve in a highly regulated industry.
Only New York and Vermont have more day care red tape, driving up costs for families.
Every aspect of running a day care is highly regulated — from the food it serves and the size of the outdoor playground to its communication with parents and the requirements needed to work in one.
But expensive regulations are no guarantee of quality. In fact, they can even backfire, creating fewer high-quality slots for children and leading parents to select lower-quality care.
Pennsylvania ranks poorly in all three areas: child-to-staff ratios, education requirements for day care staff and maximum group sizes.
First, Pennsylvania ranks 43rd among the most restrictive states on child-to-staff ratios. Child-to-staff ratios vary by state and age groups, but Pennsylvania still fares poorly. For example, for 7-year-olds, Pennsylvania allows a maximum of 15 kids per staff member, while 46 states accommodate more flexible ratios. States like Oklahoma, where daycare costs are lower than in Pennsylvania, allow up to 20 kids per teacher.
Second, Pennsylvania has some of the most onerous education requirements for day care staff. Pennsylvania day care teachers must at least possess an associate degree in early childhood education or a related field. Meanwhile, 21 states require a high school diploma or less.
And finally, Pennsylvania ranks 48th in the smallest maximum group size. States like Idaho and Alabama have no restrictions and boast much lower average day care costs than Pennsylvania.
When coupled with the commonwealth’s shortage of child care workers, Pennsylvania’s regulatory burdens throttle the availability of day care openings and inflate the overall price for working families.
For years, government’s answer to increasing unaffordability has been subsidies. But throwing more taxpayer dollars at the problem isn’t working. In fact, Pennsylvania taxpayers have increased child care spending by more than $50 million over the past three years, with no relief in sight.
Meanwhile, published academic research shows that requiring a high school diploma for lead teachers raises the cost of infant care by 25-46%. The American Enterprise Institute’s findings show that in states mandating a 4:1 toddler-to-staff ratio, the cost of care is 2.5 times that in states with a 12:1 ratio.
It’s time to take a different path. It’s time to empower parents and providers to take control. With greater staffing flexibility, day cares can give equal consideration to potential workers’ experience and credentials, enabling them to better serve their communities.
State variations in ratios, maximum group sizes and education requirements demonstrate there is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to something as personal as childcare.
Pennsylvania policymakers could lift maximum group size requirements and ease child-to-staff ratios without going out on a limb. States as different as California and Alabama do not mandate maximum group size for childcare facilities. Both Texas and Illinois have less restrictive child-to-staff ratios for 7-year-olds. Research finds no evidence that these restrictions meaningfully reduce accidents.
When government gets out of the way and trusts parents and providers to make the right decisions for their families, everyone benefits — children, parents, and the commonwealth.
Elizabeth Stelle is the vice president of policy for the Commonwealth Foundation, Pennsylvania’s free-market think tank. Edward Timmons is the vice president of policy for the Archbridge Institute, a D.C.-based think tank dedicated to advancing human flourishing and social mobility.