Mayor Wu announces new Office of Early Childhood aimed at streamlining child care process – Boston Globe
By Gal Tziperman Lotan and Naomi Martin
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu unveiled a new Office of Early Childhood Wednesday, which she framed as a first step toward fulfilling her campaign promise of universal, affordable, high-quality early education for all…
Wu said she hoped the state would increase its funding for early education through the proposed Common Start bill, which would cap families’ child care bills at 7 percent of their income.
State Representative Adrian Madaro, an East Boston Democrat and lead sponsor of the bill, praised Wu for her part, but said “we certainly need action at the state level.”
Massachusetts is the second-most expensive state for child care in the United States, with infant care costing more than in-state college tuition, according to the Economic Policy Institute. Finding affordable, accessible child care in Massachusetts became more difficult during the pandemic, with some providers shutting down as more families kept children home because of financial strain or COVID fears.