The United States will provide an arsenal of vaccines for the world and will donate 75% of its surplus doses through an international initiative for countries in need, the Biden administration announced Thursday.
The administration has pledged to donate at least 80 million doses by month s end. Doses shared through COVAX – a worldwide initiative aimed at equitable access – will prioritize Latin America and the Caribbean, South and Southeast Asia, and Africa, in coordination with the African Union, national security adviser Jake Sullivan said at a briefing Thursday. The other 25% will go for immediate needs and to help tamp down surges around the world.
But even with these investments, Pennsylvania is nowhere near the level of funding that NIEER recommends. The report calls for $12,000 per student, compared to the $6,850 per student the state spends now.
And while Pennsylvania has increased overall spending on early childhood, it has not increased the basic rate of reimbursement for child care services since 2007.
Quality or access?
Maintaining quality and standards is a tall order in the state’s complex public-private system of child care and early childhood education. The state measures quality through its Keystone Stars rating system, established in 2003, which sets standards for teacher training and credentials, classroom practices, and financial soundness, among other benchmarks. Child care centers are rated from one star through four, and the lower quality centers are helped to improve.