Child care advocates seek more state support - The Eagle-Tribune
By Christian M. Wade
Parents are struggling to find reliable and affordable child care as many providers face challenges staying afloat amid the deepening economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic.
That's according to a coalition of early education advocates who say Massachusetts isn't doing enough to support the child care sector as more people return to work.
Parents, educators and child care providers talked about the challenges and called for more state funding and resources during a livestreamed town hall Tuesday night. The event was organized by the northeastern Massachusetts chapter of the Common Start Coalition.
Child care centers are financially strained after reopening following months of being shutdown, and advocates say the cost of caring for children under the state's COVID-19 safety protocols are putting some out of business.
"Providers are going under, they're closing classrooms and programs," said Lauren Kennedy, co-founder of Neighborhood Villages, a group that advocates for increased public funding for early education.