Senate passes bill to embark on major early education changes – State House News Service
By Chris Lisinski and Michael P. Norton
BOSTON — Senators voted unanimously Thursday on a sweeping reform bill aimed at aiding child care and early education providers, fortifying the pipeline of workers entering that field, and helping more families access a costly service vital to their economic success.
After a string of speeches laser-focused on the importance of connecting more Bay Staters with quality, affordable care, the Senate approved a bill (S 2973) seeking a years-long expansion of subsidies for early education, pay and benefits for workers in the field, and permanent grants for child care providers.
“Very few bills we debate have the potential for impacts as great as this bill,” said Education Committee Co-chair Sen. Jason Lewis.
The legislation senators sent over to the House would over several years more than double the income eligibility to receive some degree of aid to pay for early education and child care, a step Lewis said would make services more affordable for hundreds of thousands of families…
Cindy Rowe, executive director of the Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action and a member of the Common Start Coalition that advocated for action to address early education and care needs, called the bill a “win-win situation.”
“It’s the right thing to do for our economy and it’s the moral thing to do,” Rowe said. “Without access to affordable, high-quality early education and child care, parents and other caregivers are either unable to work, or they struggle to balance jobs with caring for their children. Our entire economy is suffering due to the lack of early education and child care options. This bill will be a major step forward in fixing that.”