What would the Mass. Senate's new child care proposal do for you? – WBUR
By Nik DeCosta-Klipa
Chipping in for child care: The pool of families in Massachusetts that are eligible for state help paying their kids’ pricey child care could soon be growing. Yesterday, the state Senate unveiled a new early education and child care bill, joining Gov. Maura Healey’s push to invest more in the sector (despite sliding state revenues). The bill would make pandemic-era grants for child care providers permanent and incentivize providers to create a career ladder for workers. But the most direct form of support to residents struggling to keep up with college tuition-level child care payments would be through an expansion of subsidies currently only offered to low-income families.
Right now, parents who make up to 50% of the state’s median income qualify for state help paying for child care. That means the ceiling is $49,467 a year for a family of two, $61,106 for a family of three or $72,744 for a family of four. (See the full chart here.)
The proposed changes: Like Healey’s proposal earlier this year, the Senate bill would increase that ceiling to 85% — or $84,094 a year for a family of two, $103,880 for a family of three and $123,667 for a family of four.