Allegheny County Executive Announces Expanded Access to Child Care, OST Programs

Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato has announced a new initiative to expand access to child care and out-of-school time (OST) programs in the county.

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As part of the coordinated Forward with Families initiative, the county has a goal of creating 5,000 new slots over the next five years. The project’s aim is to strengthen stability, opportunity, and quality of life for working families in the county.

Led by the Allegheny County Department of Children Initiatives, the expansion of slots will focus on increasing capacity, supporting providers, and addressing gaps in care, especially for infants and toddlers, evenings and weekends, and before- and after-school programming.

Forward with Families includes a multi-pronged approach to addressing challenges facing families today. The five pillars of the initiative are:

• Health and well-being

• Child care caregiving and learning

• Employment and education

• Housing and food

• Savings and cash

Allegheny County is also promoting a refreshed tool - the Forward with Families Program Finder, where county residents can input information about their address, children, and what kind of program they are looking for and find options for child care, out-of-school time slots, and summer camps.

Additional components of Forward with Families will be announced in the coming months.

“Young people learn how to collaborate, create, problem solve, and dream in out-of-school time programs, all skills that are needed for healthy individuals and communities,” said Karen Dreyer, executive director for Allegheny Partners for Out-of-School Time (APOST). “The county’s investments will get us closer to closing the gap to ensure that all youth have access to high-quality OST learning opportunities.”