Massachusetts Senate plans another push for major early education and child care bill

The Massachusetts Senate will take up a new early education and child care bill aimed at expanding access to education for the state’s youngest learners and making it more affordable for families, Senate President Karen Spilka announced on Thursday.

The Senate plans to put the bill on the floor next Thursday, March 14.  At a press conference at a Head Start center in Malden, no cost estimate was offered but the bill calls for significant new state investments at a time when tax collections are faltering.

The bill would make the Commonwealth Cares for Children grants permanent. These C3 grants helped keep early education centers afloat during the pandemic. Gov. Maura Healey recommends $475 million to continue the grants in her pending budget.

It also seeks to expand eligibility for subsidized child care slots from 50 percent of state median income to 85 percent of state median income, which is $124,000 for a family of four. Subject to available funding, it would also raise the eligibility threshold to 125 percent of state median income, or $182,000 for a family of four. Lower income families would still be prioritized.

The bill would also require that parents’ out-of-pocket fees for subsidized children be no more than 7 percent of family income.

Additionally, it seeks to address a workforce shortage creating early education job pipelines, and creating scholarship and loan forgiveness programs for early educators.

“We require the Department of Early Education and Care to develop a career ladder that links educational attainment and work experience to compensation and benefits, and recommends that compensation levels should be commensurate with public school teachers with similar credentials,” said Sen. Jason Lewis.

The Senate passed a version of this bill during the last session in 2022.  State funding for the early education and care sector has grown to more than $1.5 billion in fiscal year 2024, a 78 percent increase over fiscal 2021.

"This is a whole system problem that demands a whole system solution. It's pretty simple when you think of it in that way," Spilka said.

The Senate's fiscal 2025 budget bill, which will be unveiled in May, will include more details on early education financing plans.