{"id":147806,"date":"2026-02-24T12:04:27","date_gmt":"2026-02-24T17:04:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/?p=147806"},"modified":"2026-02-24T12:04:27","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T17:04:27","slug":"congressman-mackenzie-to-attend-state-of-the-union-with-carbon-county-based-head-start-educator","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/?p=147806","title":{"rendered":"Congressman Mackenzie to Attend State of the Union with Carbon County-Based Head Start Educator"},"content":{"rendered":"

Highlights longstanding support for issues affecting working families<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Washington, D.C. \u2014\u00a0<\/strong>Congressman Ryan Mackenzie (PA-07), representing the Lehigh Valley and the Poconos, will bring Sarah Arndt, a Head Start educator in Lehighton, Pennsylvania, as his guest to President Trump\u2019s State of the Union Address on February 24.<\/p>\n

Sarah Arndt is a Lead Teacher at PathStone Carbon County Head Start, where she has worked for the past 13 years supporting young learners and their families. She is dedicated to supporting children\u2019s academic, social, and emotional development and building strong partnerships with families. Through her work, she helps create a positive learning environment that prepares young students for long-term success.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe work of Sarah and her colleagues highlights the critical role early childhood education and child care play in supporting our communities,\u201d\u00a0said Congressman Mackenzie<\/strong>. \u201cAs a working parent and a proud advocate for the needs of working families, I\u2019m grateful to have Sarah joining us to bring attention to the value of affordable, reliable child care and early childhood education. In the months ahead, I\u2019ll continue working alongside people in our community like Sarah to deliver real results for working families.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cI\u2019m honored to be representing children, families, and teachers in the Lehigh Valley and the Poconos at the State of the Union,\u201d\u00a0said Sarah Arndt<\/strong>. \u201cEarly childhood education provides children with the head start that they deserve, and I appreciate this opportunity to highlight the impact that it makes every day. Thank you to Congressman Mackenzie for helping to highlight this critical service, and for everything that he\u2019s doing in Congress to support working families.<\/p>\n

Child care remains one of the biggest expenses for families, with costs\u00a0rising<\/a><\/u>\u00a029% nationwide from 2020 to 2024 and taking up a significant share of household income in Pennsylvania. Congressman Mackenzie is working to address these challenges by advancing policies that lower costs and expand access to affordable, reliable child care. His first bill introduced in Congress, the\u00a0Working Families Tax Package<\/a><\/u><\/em>,<\/a><\/u>\u00a0includes:<\/p>\n