Mass. Senate Dems plan vote on bill expanding access to early ed., childcare – MassLive
By John L. Micek
Families across Massachusetts would get a leg up on the rising cost of childcare and open more opportunities for early education, under a bill that state Senate Democrats advanced on Thursday.
The bill, christened the “EARLY ED Act,” would, among other things, permanently fund the state’s Commonwealth Cares for Children grant program, which provides monthly payments to providers to help them cover their operational and workforce costs.
The bill also expands eligibility for subsidized care and would authorize the creation of a “career ladder” for educators with recommended salaries. The price tag for the plan was not immediately available.
Democratic leaders rolled out the proposal during a stop at a childcare center in Malden on Wednesday morning, even as the Senate’s Ways & Means Committee positioned the bill for a vote next week.
The bill is another step in fulfilling a plan to provide " provide high-quality educational opportunities to our children from birth through adulthood, as well as our obligation to make Massachusetts affordable and equitable for our residents and competitive for employers,” Senate President Karen E. Spilka, D-Middlesex/Norfolk, said in a statement.