Legislature eyes changes in childcare system - Commonwealth Magazine
By Shira Schoenberg
Rarely has the issue of childcare received such sustained attention from the state Legislature. But with the pandemic calling renewed attention to the economic importance of childcare, two state panels this week are beginning to dig into the issue. Both experts and legislative leaders say returning to the way things were before is not sufficient.
“Going back to the status quo is not really an option,” said Julie Kashen, director for women’s economic justice at the Century Foundation, who plans to speak to a Senate committee on “Reimagining Massachusetts Post-Pandemic Resiliency” on Wednesday. “We have to build something new and better,” she said. “We didn’t have what we needed before. We won’t have what we needed after.”
The Senate Committee, chaired by Sen. Adam Hinds, a Pittsfield Democrat, is holding a series of listening sessions on improving life as the pandemic recedes. On Wednesday, it plans to hear from experts on childcare and education, both K-12 and higher education.
Separately, a Special Legislative Early Education and Care Economic Review Commission, chaired by Education Committee Chairs Rep. Alice Peisch of Wellesley and Sen. Jason Lewis of Winchester, met for the first time Tuesday.
Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Mike Kennealy told that committee at its virtual meeting that childcare must be a key component of the post-COVID recovery effort. “We’re hearing this from employers and employees how important childcare is to the overall economic recovery, to helping people get back to work,” he said.