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.
| Measure | Pennsylvania | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Establishments | 3,823 | 82,162 |
| Mid-March employees | 46,742 | 1,045,052 |
| Annual payroll | $1,333,693,000 | $31,032,974,000 |
| Employees per establishment | 12.2 | 12.7 |
| Payroll per employee | $28,533 | $29,695 |
| Establishments per 100,000 residents | 29.2 | 24.2 |
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.
| Area | Establishments | Employees | Per 100k residents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 2,011 | 27,771 | 31.8 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 717 | 8,390 | 29.5 |
| Allentown, PA-NJ | 287 | 3,164 | 32.4 |
| Scranton, PA | 180 | 1,707 | 31.4 |
| Harrisburg, PA | 166 | 2,071 | 27.0 |
| Lancaster, PA | 100 | 1,237 | 17.8 |
| York, PA | 97 | 1,284 | 20.6 |
| Reading, PA | 81 | 1,141 | 18.4 |
| Erie, PA | 69 | 931 | 25.8 |
| Johnstown, PA | 48 | 1,174 | 36.9 |
| East Stroudsburg, PA | 42 | 513 | 25.2 |
| Pottsville, PA | 39 | 426 | 27.0 |
| Williamsport, PA | 39 | 396 | 34.4 |
| Chambersburg, PA | 36 | 365 | 22.6 |
| State College, PA | 31 | 446 | 19.4 |
| Lebanon, PA | 31 | 227 | 21.3 |
| Sayre, PA | 30 | 345 | 50.3 |
| Altoona, PA | 25 | 506 | 20.8 |
| DuBois, PA | 24 | 255 | 30.7 |
| Sunbury, PA | 22 | 277 | 20.3 |
| Gettysburg, PA | 21 | 344 | 19.5 |
| Indiana, PA | 19 | 234 | 22.9 |
| Bloomsburg, PA | 19 | 262 | 28.8 |
| Hermitage, PA | 15 | 146 | 13.9 |
| Oil City, PA | 13 | — | 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.
| Employment size | Establishments | Share | U.S. share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–4 employees | 1,242 | 32.5% | 36.3% |
| 5–9 employees | 835 | 21.8% | 18.7% |
| 10–19 employees | 1,001 | 26.2% | 24.0% |
| 20–49 employees | 685 | 17.9% | 18.8% |
| 50 or more employees | 59 | 1.5% | 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:
- A licensing agency calls about an inspection.
- A parent calls to report a child's absence.
- A parent calls to ask about openings for an infant.
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.
| Provider (plan) | Pricing basis | Per month | Per 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 code | Exchanges | Time zone | In service since | Overlay with |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 267 | 786 | Eastern | 1999 | 215, 445 |
| 484 | 786 | Eastern | 1999 | 610, 835 |
| 717 | 784 | Eastern | 1947 | 223 |
| 814 | 784 | Eastern | 1947 | 582 |
| 215 | 783 | Eastern | 1947 | 267, 445 |
| 724 | 783 | Eastern | 1998 | 878 |
| 570 | 782 | Eastern | 1998 | 272 |
| 610 | 782 | Eastern | 1994 | 484, 835 |
| 412 | 762 | Eastern | 1947 | 878 |
| 272 | 336 | Eastern | 2013 | 570 |
| 223 | 252 | Eastern | 2017 | 717 |
| 878 | 190 | Eastern | 2001 | 412, 724 |
| 445 | 183 | Eastern | 2018 | 215, 267 |
| 582 | 154 | Eastern | 2021 | 814 |
| 835 | 109 | Eastern | 2022 | 484, 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.