Ambitious bill to reform child care, lower costs sails through Mass. Senate – GBH
By Katie Lannan
The Massachusetts Senate unanimously passed a bill Thursday, legislation that calls for major state investments in early education to help correct a system where families struggle to afford care and low pay often forces workers out of the field.
“This framework would provide the structure that’s needed to build affordable care options for families, significantly better pay and benefits for early childhood educators, and a stable source of funding for providers,” Patty Sinclair of the Massachusetts Association for the Education of Young Children said at a Thursday rally in support of the legislation. “Let me say that again: a stable source of funding for providers, high-quality programs and services for children, and substantial relief for businesses in our economy.”
The legislation would make more families eligible for a state subsidy program that defrays early education costs, and cap out-of-pocket costs for families whose children are enrolled in subsidized care.
Currently, a family of four would need an income below $73,000 — half the state's median income — to qualify for a child care subsidy. The bill would raise that threshold to $124,000, or 85% of the median income. The bill also envisions further expansions if funding is made available.