Massachusetts Is Investing Big in Early Care and Education. It’s Paying Off. – EdSurge
By Emily Tate Sullivan
Five months after federal stabilization grants expired, deeper cracks are beginning to show in the early care and education sector.
Without the historic level of operational funding that was distributed monthly to child care programs across the United States through September 2023, many providers are experiencing staff departures and shouldering rising costs, leading many to increase tuition for families and some to close classrooms — or worse, close their doors entirely.
Yet in Massachusetts, providers and programs have largely been insulated from the so-called child care cliff. Some are even flourishing.
Recognizing the disaster that lay ahead if stabilization grants expired without an adequate replacement, leaders in Massachusetts decided to continue funding operational grants for early care and education programs even after American Rescue Plan dollars dried up.
Through a state program called Commonwealth Cares for Children (C3), which was funded at $475 million for fiscal year 2024 and which the governor has recommended be renewed at the same level for fiscal year 2025, nearly 93 percent of licensed providers in the state are receiving monthly stipends.