Senate early education bill could transform childcare landscape – Commonwealth
By Senate President Karen Spilka and Senator Jason Lewis
In the 19th century, Massachusetts pioneered the idea that K-12 education should be a public good, available and accessible to all children and families. Today we take this for granted. But at the time that Horace Mann was leading this movement, it was a revolutionary idea.
Three years ago, the Massachusetts Legislature began the process of transforming the quality of K-12 education through the Student Opportunity Act, beginning a multi-year process of significant new investments in all of our public schools to ensure every student in the state has access to high-quality learning opportunities.
We now have the opportunity for the Commonwealth to take another transformational leap by laying the foundation for high-quality, affordable early education and childcare that is universally available. By doing so, we would take a major step forward for equitable early childhood development; increase economic opportunity and mobility for parents with young children, especially for women and lower- income families; and better meet the workforce needs of our employers and growing economy…
Both the House of Representatives and the Senate have prioritized implementation of the commission’s recommendations in their respective Fiscal Year 2023 budget bills, appropriating record levels of state funding for early education and care subsidies, stabilization grants, and workforce support.
On Thursday, the Senate will be taking up historic legislation that will continue this progress in transforming early education and childcare in the Commonwealth. The bill envisions a system where, over time, more families will be able to get subsidies to help pay the high costs of childcare. Eligibility would expand from families making 50 percent or below of state median income—$65,626 annual household income for a family of four—to families making up to 125 percent of state median income, or $164,065 annual household income for a family of four.