House budget increases spending on subsidized childcare – Commonwealth
By Shira Schoenberg
The Massachusetts House budget, which will be released from the Ways and Means Committee on Wednesday, will include major new investments in early childhood education targeted at expanding the workforce and helping providers that offer subsidized care to low-income families.
However, the changes, which are aimed at increasing the accessibility of childcare, do not address the problem that many middle-class families have affording the state’s expensive private pay childcare system…
Some providers say they wish lawmakers would help the private pay sector as well. According to the commission’s report, more than 1,300 providers closed during the pandemic, and about two-thirds of them are unsubsidized providers.
“It’s heartbreaking the number of private pay providers that had to close since the mandated shutdown because they’re just being hit with such financial stress that they can’t stay open,” said Gina Tiberio Hamilton, a family childcare provider. Hamilton said costs have skyrocketed for things like food, oil, and curriculum. “We can’t continue to hit the parents with tuition increases. The parents are struggling as well,” she said.
Deb Fastino, director of the Common Start Coalition, a broad coalition that has been pushing for greater public investment in childcare, said the House budget “would represent a significant downpayment on our vision of a child care system that works for everyone.” Though, Fastino added, “As we move through the budget process, we also hope to see additional help for families who are struggling with the high cost of child care.”