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Boston's Morning Newsletter
What would the Mass. Senate's new child care proposal do for you?
Editor's Note: This is an excerpt from WBUR's daily morning newsletter, WBUR Today. If you like what you read and want it in your inbox, sign up here.
The state of this newsletter is excited for the coming 6:45 p.m. sunsets. But before you spring forward an hour this weekend, let’s catch up on the news:
Chipping in for child care: The pool of families in Massachusetts that are eligible for state help paying their kids’ pricey child care could soon be growing. Yesterday, the state Senate unveiled a new early education and child care bill, joining Gov. Maura Healey’s push to invest more in the sector (despite sliding state revenues). The bill would make pandemic-era grants for child care providers permanent and incentivize providers to create a career ladder for workers. But the most direct form of support to residents struggling to keep up with college tuition-level child care payments would be through an expansion of subsidies currently only offered to low-income families.
- Right now, parents who make up to 50% of the state’s median income qualify for state help paying for child care. That means the ceiling is $49,467 a year for a family of two, $61,106 for a family of three or $72,744 for a family of four. (See the full chart here.)
- The proposed changes: Like Healey’s proposal earlier this year, the Senate bill would increase that ceiling to 85% — or $84,094 a year for a family of two, $103,880 for a family of three and $123,667 for a family of four.
- How much does that help? It depends on your situation, including income and number of kids in care. (You can use this calculator for an estimate of how much your family would have to pay after the subsidies.) The Senate’s bill, however, would include a hard cap on payments to ensure no one who qualifies for subsidies pays more than 7% of the family’s income on child care. It would also make it so those below the poverty line pay nothing.
- More families could eventually become eligible, too. While aspects mentioned above would be guaranteed, the bill’s language also includes a plan to gradually increase the eligibility ceiling to 125% of the state’s median income — if lawmakers allocate more child care support in future budgets. That would mean a single parent making up to $95,000 or family of four making up to $182,000 would be eligible for some financial help.
- Next steps: Senate President Karen Spilka’s office is planning a vote on the bill next Thursday, March 14. After that, we’ll have to wait and see whether House leaders feel as ambitious.
The local angle: A Naval officer from Wakefield was among the local guests at last night’s State of the Union Address. But rather than being invited by a member of the Massachusetts delegation, Commander Shelby Nikitin was First Lady Jill Biden’s guest. Nikitin led recent Red Sea deployments to protect ships from attacks by Houthi rebels and received the Bronze Star for her leadership.
- ICYMI: Read the five takeaways from Biden’s fiery speech or watch the key moments on NPR’s website. There were also off-script exchanges and not one, but two Republican rebuttals.
Orange you ready for a new T diversion: Today is the last day of the most recent partial Green Line closure, but shuttle buses will stick around this weekend. That’s because the Orange Line will be suspended between Forest Hills and Ruggles stations all day Saturday and Sunday so crews can work on the signal system.
- Free shuttles will stop at all of the closed stations and the commuter rail will be free between Forest Hills and South Station (that includes Ruggles and Back Bay, too).
Calling all zombies: AMC’s “The Walking Dead” sequel show is filming in the Boston area this April through July — and the crew is looking for local residents to play extras. Specifically, they’re looking for three (somewhat specific) types: Athletes and people with military or law enforcement experience to play soldiers, “capable people with weathered faces” to play apocalypse survivors and “people who are very thin, tall and have flexible schedules” for zombies.
Pick up my guitar and play: Tanglewood is adding more big names to its summer lineup: Roger Daltrey, Brandi Carlisle and John Fogerty are now slated for June concerts. Check out the full summer schedule — which already includes James Taylor, The Pretenders, Kool and the Gang, and the Indigo Girls — here.
P.S.— Why is a Massachusetts man suing the federal government for over $9 million? If you know, take our Boston News Quiz and test your knowledge of this week’s stories.
