Membership Categories & Benefits

We are Pennsylvania's Early Care and Education Providers

PACCA is specifically dedicated to child care and early education programs and professionals in Pennsylvania. PACCA represents your voice in Harrisburg while providing a variety of information, networking, and educational opportunities to meet your, your program and your staff’s needs. Because membership in PACCA is by organization, all of your staff can take advantage of PACCA’s member services at the member rates. For more information or questions, contact PACCA at 717-657-9000 x 101.

PACCA has four membership categories:
  • Center, Group & Family providers of direct early child care and education services to children. (example: certified child care programs) Providers are classified as Family, Group or Center.
  • Early Learning Resource Centers (ELRCs) the ELRCs provide valuable child care information and services to families, providers and to the public. They are part of the vital statewide continuum of community-based perspectives to the child care needs of families & communities.
  • Associates are advocacy organizations, businesses, consultants, foundations and other entities that support high-quality early care and education or provide a service or product to the child care provider community (e.g. children’s furniture, educational material vendors, food suppliers, consultants, attorneys, accounting firms, insurance agencies, foundations, early childhood initiatives, colleges). They may be for-profit or not-for-profit entities, private or publicly owned.
  • Affiliate members are INDIVIDUALS with an academic or personal interest in the mission of high-quality child care who are not eligible in any other membership categories.
 

PACCA’s Member Services

The Pennsylvania Child Care Association is a Shared Service Alliance … While specific member services may vary between membership type, the following benefits are available to most members of PACCA. For specific member benefits, click on the category above.
 
As the Alliance for Early Childhood Finance notes:
 
“ECE Shared Service Alliances, a community-based partnership model comprised of centers and family child care homes working together to share costs and deliver services in a more streamlined and efficient way. By participating in a shared service alliance, early care and education businesses become stronger, more accountable, more financially sound and efficient, and better equipped to offer affordable, high- quality services for children and their families.”

Founded in 1973 as a statewide, nonprofit membership association, Pennsylvania Child Care Association (PACCA) is one of the original shared-service alliances in Pennsylvania. PACCA members and their staff have access to:
 
  • Training and professional development: PACCA members and their staff receive discounted rates at the Early Childhood Education Summit held annually at the Penn Stater Hotel & Conference Center, State College, PA each Fall. PACCA’s Webinar Series offers web-based training for PACCA Members. Earn DHS/STARS and professional development credit without leaving your center! In addition, webinars are archived on the PACCA website.
     
  • Connections to peers, professional support, and the community: Members help guide the development of policies, products, and services by serving on one of PACCA’s vital committees. In addition to its website and Facebook pages, PACCA moderates two members-only Facebook groups -- one for Directors and another for our home-based provider members. With over 1,000 professional members, PACCA’s members are part of a vital community network of experts in the field and just a phone call or email away.
     
  • Operational supports: PACCA’s partnerships with Teaching Strategies, First Quality Products – Cuties Program, and Child Care Information Exchange provide discounts and access to business support and information. Our newest partnership is with Focus HRO, a full service Human Resources Outsourcing firm that also provides insurances, employee benefits, and human resources. PACCA's website contains useful resources, materials and links to research and reports early educators need to operate responsive high-quality programs. The Members-only section is our member’s portal for practical views, trends, archived webinars and other useful tools. Receive @PACCA, PACCA’s biweekly e-news with quick-read summaries of articles, updates on the latest buzz, grant opportunities, and hot topics! PACCA members can also post their job openings to our job board to reach potential candidates in their region and across the state.
     
  • Advocacy: PACCA keeps its members informed on state and federal policy and legislation that affects child care. Through e-Alerts, legislative updates and calls to action on both state and federal issues members have effective vehicles to express their voices and opinions. Additionally, PACCA employs a contract lobbyist to ensure our issues are represented in Harrisburg. PACCA also represents its members on public and private workgroups, task forces, and committees addressing child care and early learning.