Healey, Spilka, Mariano agree: housing, child care, and public transit need action – MassLive
By Chris Van Buskirk
The three most powerful state politicians in Massachusetts agree on at least three things — the cost of housing in Massachusetts is hurting the state, the child care industry needs a boost and public transit is in need of desperate help…
Child care has also been top of mind for the three leaders, each saying in their own way that the service is expensive and the workforce, mostly made up of women, is overworked and underpaid.
For Healey, Massachusetts has some of the highest costs in the country and pushed the Legislature to pass legislation put forward by the Common Start Coalition that focuses on public investment in early education and child care.
Spilka said early education and child care are essential to addressing the “she-cession,” the loss of women from the workforce.
“Simply put, it is past time to update the way we imagine and support this crucial sector,” she said, according to her remarks as prepared for delivery, adding that legislation this session will focus on making the service more accessible and affordable.
Mariano said the “full attention of the Hosue” will be directed at finding ways to support the early education and care workforce.
“Another sector that the pandemic reinforced as essential to both families, and to our economy, is childcare,” he said. “... I was proud of the work done last session to increase salaries and other key supports for EEC workers, and I’m confident that the Legislature can do more on this critical issue.”