House leaders eye $110M for early education – State House News Service
By Colin A. Young
House leadership has baked more than $110 million in funding for the early education and care sector into the fiscal 2023 budget proposal that representatives will debate later this month, including a $40 million increase for provider salaries.
Early education and child care appears primed to be a major focus of investment and attention as the House and Senate prepare to debate and pass their own budgets for fiscal year 2023 over the next seven weeks.
The importance and vulnerabilities of the state’s early education and care field came into sharp focus when the pandemic closed schools and child care centers, upending the work routines of many parents, and advocates have said this year represents an opportunity for Beacon Hill to stabilize and reshape the sector.