CallataGuides

Business phone system for child day care services in Pennsylvania

3,823 child day care services operated in Pennsylvania in 2023. Where they are, how big their teams are, and what phone service costs them.

Establishments
3,823CBP 2023
Employees
46,742mid-March 2023
Per 100k residents
29.2U.S. 24.2
State rank
5th of 51by count

How many child day care services operate in Pennsylvania

County Business Patterns counts 3,823 establishments in Pennsylvania classified as Child Day Care Services (NAICS 624410) for 2023. They employed 46,742 people in mid-March and reported $1.3 billion in annual payroll. That is the 5th highest count among the 51 states and DC with published figures. Child day care services make up 1.2% of the 307,065 business establishments in the state.

Per 100,000 residents (2024 estimate) Pennsylvania has 29.2 child day care services, 21.0% above the national rate of 24.2. The average establishment has 12.2 employees against 12.7 nationally. Payroll per employee is $28,533, 3.9% below the U.S. figure of $29,695.

Child day care services: Pennsylvania compared with the U.S., 2023
MeasurePennsylvaniaUnited States
Establishments3,82382,162
Mid-March employees46,7421,045,052
Annual payroll$1,333,693,000$31,032,974,000
Employees per establishment12.212.7
Payroll per employee$28,533$29,695
Establishments per 100,000 residents29.224.2

Census County Business Patterns 2023 (mid-March employment; annual payroll). Employees and payroll flagged high-noise are shown but not used in the text. Residents: Census Vintage 2024 estimates.

Child day care services by metro area in Pennsylvania

Census published child care center counts for 36 metro or micropolitan areas that include part of Pennsylvania. The largest is Philadelphia, PA-NJ-DE-MD, with 2,011 establishments (a multi-state area; its count covers every state it spans). Single-state metro and micropolitan areas account for 51% of the statewide total; the rest are outside any published area or in areas Census suppressed.

Child day care services by metro or micropolitan area, Pennsylvania, 2023
AreaEstablishmentsEmployeesPer 100k residents
Philadelphia, PA-NJ-DE-MD2,01127,77131.8
Pittsburgh, PA7178,39029.5
Allentown, PA-NJ2873,16432.4
Scranton, PA1801,70731.4
Harrisburg, PA1662,07127.0
Lancaster, PA1001,23717.8
York, PA971,28420.6
Reading, PA811,14118.4
Erie, PA6993125.8
Johnstown, PA481,17436.9
East Stroudsburg, PA4251325.2
Pottsville, PA3942627.0
Williamsport, PA3939634.4
Chambersburg, PA3636522.6
State College, PA3144619.4
Lebanon, PA3122721.3
Sayre, PA3034550.3
Altoona, PA2550620.8
DuBois, PA2425530.7
Sunbury, PA2227720.3
Gettysburg, PA2134419.5
Indiana, PA1923422.9
Bloomsburg, PA1926228.8
Hermitage, PA1514613.9
Oil City, PA13—26.3

Top 25 of 36 areas by establishments. Source: Census CBP 2023.

Team sizes at child day care services in Pennsylvania

32.5% of Pennsylvania's child day care services with employees had fewer than five people in March 2023, compared with 36.3% nationally. 54.3% had fewer than ten. That is the size of team where a missed call usually means nobody was free, not that nobody was on staff.

Child day care services in Pennsylvania by employment size, 2023
Employment sizeEstablishmentsShareU.S. share
1–4 employees1,24232.5%36.3%
5–9 employees83521.8%18.7%
10–19 employees1,00126.2%24.0%
20–49 employees68517.9%18.8%
50 or more employees591.5%2.2%

Employment-size classes count establishments by mid-March 2023 employment. Establishments with no March employees are excluded from the size classes, so shares are of establishments with employees. Source: Census County Business Patterns 2023.

What child day care services in Pennsylvania use the phone for

Child care centers take calls from parents about enrollment, absences and pickups, and from prospective families looking for openings. Staff are with children, so calls must be quick or captured.

Typical inbound and outbound calls for child day care services in Pennsylvania:

When nobody can pick up

Prospective parents often call in the evening.

Callata voicemail is transcribed and triaged for urgency, and business-hours routing decides where calls go once you close.

Callata vs. per-seat pricing for child day care services in Pennsylvania

Child day care services in Pennsylvania average 12.2 employees, so the comparison uses a 12-person team. Priced per seat, 12 users would run $360.00 a month on RingCentral RingEX Core and $299.40 on Ooma Office Pro (month-to-month list prices, checked September 28, 2026). On Callata the same 12 people cost $239.00 a month, less than either per-seat plan.

The annual difference against RingCentral's monthly list price comes to $1,452. Some vendors discount annual contracts; the table shows month-to-month prices.

Monthly list price for a 12-person child care center
Provider (plan)Pricing basisPer monthPer year
Callata (Callata Office)$99 incl. 5 users, $20 per extra user$239.00$2,868.00
Quo (Starter)$19.00 per user$228.00$2,736.00
Nextiva (Core)$23.00 per user$276.00$3,312.00
Ooma (Office Pro)$24.95 per user$299.40$3,592.80
Dialpad (Standard)$27.00 per user$324.00$3,888.00
RingCentral (RingEX Core)$30.00 per user$360.00$4,320.00

Competitor prices are each vendor's published month-to-month list price per user for its lowest plan that includes business calling and texting, checked September 28, 2026: Quo Starter $19, Nextiva Core $23, Ooma Office Pro $24.95 (Essentials excludes texting; one-time $29.95 activation not included), Dialpad Standard $27, RingCentral RingEX Core $30 ($20 billed annually). Prices exclude taxes and fees and may change; annual contracts lower some competitors' prices.

Area codes in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania has 15 geographic area codes in service according to NANPA. You can choose local numbers in the area codes your parents know, subject to carrier inventory, or port your current number for free.

Area codes in Pennsylvania by assigned exchanges
Area codeExchangesTime zoneIn service sinceOverlay with
267786Eastern1999215, 445
484786Eastern1999610, 835
717784Eastern1947223
814784Eastern1947582
215783Eastern1947267, 445
724783Eastern1998878
570782Eastern1998272
610782Eastern1994484, 835
412762Eastern1947878
272336Eastern2013570
223252Eastern2017717
878190Eastern2001412, 724
445183Eastern2018215, 267
582154Eastern2021814
835109Eastern2022484, 610

Exchanges are NANPA-assigned central office codes (NPA-NXX) in the rate centers matched to the area's named places. Source: NANPA utilized code and NPA reports.

How Callata works for child day care services in Pennsylvania

Callata Office costs $99 per month for up to 5 people, and each additional user is $20 a month. That covers up to 3 local numbers, calling from a browser or your cell, transcribed voicemail, recorded calls with AI summaries, after-hours routing and E911 on each number.

If you already have a number in Pennsylvania, porting it to Callata is free. Texting from a local number requires a one-time carrier registration (10DLC, $49), and the numbers available in any area code depend on carrier inventory when you choose them.

Optional AI agents (receptionist, sales, support or scheduler) can answer calls after hours or when nobody picks up, take messages, text, email and transfer to your team. They are billed from prepaid AI minutes at $0.25 per minute, identify themselves as AI, and may only place outbound calls to people who consented, between 8am and 9pm.

Frequently asked questions

How many child day care services are in Pennsylvania?

3,823 in 2023, according to Census County Business Patterns. They employed 46,742 people in mid-March.

Which Pennsylvania metro area has the most child day care services?

Philadelphia, PA-NJ-DE-MD, with 2,011 establishments in 2023.

What does a phone system cost a 12-person child care center?

$360.00 a month on RingCentral RingEX Core or $299.40 on Ooma Office Pro at month-to-month list prices (checked September 28, 2026); $239.00 on Callata ($99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user).

Do I need to register to text customers from a Pennsylvania number?

Yes. US carriers require business texting from local numbers to be registered (10DLC). On Callata the registration is a one-time $49 fee, and texting turns on once it is approved.