Massachusetts, other states need to increase spending for preschools, report says - Boston Globe
By Naomi Martin and Jeremy C. Fox
Massachusetts preschool enrollment increased by fewer than 300 children in 2019-2020, as the pandemic shifted those programs to remote learning in the middle of the school year, according to a national report that found most states don’t provide enough funding to support all-day prekindergarten for all children…
Early-education advocates lauded efforts by the state and others to expand access to preschool but said the report shows the need for more funding, especially as the pandemic has laid bare increasing inequities.
Amy O’Leary, director of Early Education for All, a social advocacy campaign of the nonprofit Strategies for Children, said in a statement that the state should spend “significantly more” for “high-quality early education and care for all, beginning at birth.”
She called for the passage of a bill introduced in both houses of the Legislature that would help fund early-education programs statewide. In an interview Friday, she said the COVID-19 pandemic has served as a reminder of the need.
“The pandemic has really showed us how little public funding goes into supporting our youngest children,” O’Leary said. “So much of the funding comes from parents.”
JD Chesloff, president and chief executive of the Massachusetts Business Roundtable, said the pandemic had both “exposed and exacerbated” disparities.
“We are now more keenly aware how crucial high-quality early-childhood programming is for children and families, providers, the economy, and an equitable society,” Chesloff said in a statement, adding that many “advocates, providers, and public and private leaders” are working to address the need.
State Senator Jason Lewis, a lead sponsor of the early-education bill before the Legislature, said the report “provides further evidence for the pressing need” for the state to invest more in early education and child care.
“Doing so would ensure that all children receive the strong start in life that they deserve; enable working families to access high-quality, affordable programs in their communities; create a stable early-education system with a professional workforce that is treated with respect; and provide significant benefits to employers and our economy,” the Winchester Democrat said in a statement Friday.
Lauren Birchfield Kennedy, cofounder of Neighborhood Villages, which advocates for child care policy reform, said that states overall underinvest in preschool education. “Unfortunately, Massachusetts is no exception,” she said in an e-mail.
She called on the Legislature to pass the early-education bill.
“Today, preschool for too many families is pay-to-play,” she said. “No child’s early education should be dependent on his or her family’s financial circumstances.”