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Allegheny County picks first head of Department of Children Initiatives

Haley Nelson/Post-Gazette

Allegheny County picks first head of Department of Children Initiatives

Rebecca “Becky” Mercatoris was announced Tuesday as the first director of Allegheny County’s new Department of Children Initiatives.

Ms. Mercatoris, of Ben Avon, will head the department after it was formed earlier this year with a 2021 budget of $443,476, described as its funding for “year zero” of the program. Allegheny County directors make $121,654.42 annually.

“I welcome this new opportunity to serve our county’s children, families, child care and out-of-school time providers as we move forward to a child care and out-of-school time that really works for everyone in our county,” Ms. Mercatoris said in her remarks.

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She has previously worked for the Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Child Care and the Child Care State Capacity Building Center. She holds a master’s degree in public policy and management from the University of Pittsburgh.

The department was developed out of the findings of a 26-member working group formed by County Executive Rich Fitzgerald in 2019 after a ballot measure to fund children’s programs through property taxes failed during the 2018 election.

The report recommended creating the department and giving it a $20 million a year budget. That funding would allow the department to give early learning to 900 children, in addition to after-school programming for 1,500 more.

The office will begin working on the issue of helping young children get prepared for school and learning, Mr. Fitzgerald said. “I’m so excited that we’ve got so much economic growth and so much economic development happening in this region right now, but unless these kids are ready to avail themselves to those opportunities, it’s almost like in a different world — they’re not connected to it.”

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The co-chairs of the Children’s Fund Working Group, Trish Gadson and Michelle Figlar, also spoke at the announcement about their focus on conversations about early learning.

Ms. Gadson, the CEO of Macedonia Family and Community Enrichment Center, said she wanted to highlight equity for children and families around the county. “We will continue to do the hard work to advocate on behalf of children, and I am thrilled to work alongside Becky towards this.”

Sustained progress for families and children in the county has “never been more needed and more within reach,” said Ms. Figlar, vice president of learning at the Heinz Endowments. The COVID-19 pandemic particularly showed the critical need for high-quality child care. “I know that as a mom,” she said.

The Pittsburgh nonprofit Allies for Children hailed the selection of Ms. Mercatoris. “Her vast experience and dedication to children is what is needed to propel this department forward,” a statement from the organization reads. 

“We have long known how important supports such as quality early childcare and out-of-school time are for children and families,” the organization added, “and that the demand for high-quality programs in Allegheny County far exceeds the supply.”

The department is looking at similar services in Cleveland and Colorado as a model on how to utilize the new department, Ms. Mercatoris said.

“It is my vision that in the coming years this new department will serve as a model for what a committed local government and strong organizational and state and local partnerships can build to support a county’s early learning and out-of-school time programs, workforce and, of course, the families who use those services,” she said.

Mick Stinelli: mstinelli@post-gazette.com; 412-263-1869; and on Twitter: @MickStinelli.

First Published: May 25, 2021, 9:34 p.m.
Updated: May 25, 2021, 9:36 p.m.

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