QUEST Mission
GOALS: To speak with one voice on what is required to make work in early childhood education a viable long-term career choice in Pennsylvania—a critical element in providing quality care for our children.The current policy goals of QUEST are:
- Fully utilizing, expanding and improving Keystone Stars compensation programs, especially the Education and Retention Awards.li>Developing a state-subsidized multi-employer health insurance fund.
- Expanding existing successful programs, including T.E.A.C.H. and Quality ECE Loan Forgiveness.
- Building community-based programs’ access to state Head Start and school district accountability grants.
- Increasing rates to the 75th percentile, with additional increases based on program quality.
- Over 2300 people have come on board with QUEST since its inception in the fall of 2000, representing all parts of the early childhood community in 62 of the 67 Pennsylvania counties.
- 2002: Every legislator in the state receives a decorated shoe, asking them to “Walk a mile in the shoes of a child care worker.” Programs in over thirty counties are active, creative, and public in asking the question of our Virtual Strike: “What if there were no child care in Pennsylvania this week?”
- 2003-04: Programs throughout the state produce more than 7800 "Snoweflakes", supporting the Snowe amendment to increase federal child care block grant funding—starting a nationwide blizzard of support that helps produce an overwhelming Senate vote for $6 million in additional funding.
- 2005: Over 10,450 “FACES of child care”, representing children whose federal funding is at stake, are collected from across the state and delivered to congressional and senate representatives.
- 2006: Through our 253 Legislative Challenge and Reaching for the STARS campaign, we reached 80% or our state Senators and 54% of our Representatives on the importance of funding ECE.
- In recent years of retrenchment, early childhood education has seen significant increases in state funding. The early education community in Pennsylvania, by speaking with one voice on issues of compensation, is now at the table where state policy decisions are being made.
- Governor Rendell’s 2004 budget included a first time $2 million line item for a wages and retention initiative, and subsequent budgets have increased that amount.
- Keystone Stars, an early goal of QUEST, has become the centerpiece of the state’s early childhood quality effort. Hundreds of people are now receiving Education and Retention Awards.
- With the creation in 2004 of the Office of Child Development we now have, for the first time, a single Commonwealth office devoted exclusively to the educational needs of young children.
- Determined advocacy by the early childhood community was acknowledged by the Governor’s office as critical in getting over $100 million in additional ECE funding in the 06-07 state budget.
- Become a member through our web-site; join our e-mail network to stay in touch.
- Explore the resources on our web site to educate your coworkers and parents.
- Get involved in QUEST activities -- spring and fall action weeks, job shadowing, legislative visits.
- Get your colleagues involved.