Policy Pulse #2
Welcome to issue two of Neighborhood Villages’ Policy Pulse. In this issue we dive into the most recent Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) Board meeting, share more details on what’s on the table in this year’s Massachusetts state budget, and share more about Governor Maura Healey’s Interagency Early Education and Care Task Force.
What to Know
Massachusetts’ State Budget Under Review in Conference Committee
With the Massachusetts House of Representatives and Senate having passed their respective Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) state budget proposals, the budget is now before the Massachusetts Conference Committee. Conferees have been announced and the Committee is currently considering the final legislative compromise for the FY2025 budget. (The Conference Committee, which includes three members each from the House and Senate will make the final decision about all areas where the two chambers’ respective budgets differ.) This year’s budget will include historic spending and policy reforms for early education and care in the FY2025 budget. To learn more about the FY2025 state budget, check out our Budget Primer here! You can find out more about what is in both budget proposals there.
On June 11th, Neighborhood Villages, Strategies for Children, and MassBudget held a virtual event “Breaking Down the Budget: Where We Are Now and What You Need to Know.” Couldn’t join us? You can find the slides here!
Here’s What Happened at the Most Recent Early Education and Care Board Meeting
The Board of Massachusetts’ Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) most recently met on June 12, 2024. Important decisions about the early education and care sector are made at monthly EEC Board meetings and you can read the wrap-up here! Here's what happened at the June Board meeting:
Commissioner Kershaw provided several updates relevant for providers, including around closure days.
EEC updated the Board on its plan for the Commonwealth Cares for Children (C3) program for the upcoming year.
EEC outlined plans for regulatory reform to its residential programs.
EEC summarized the Commonwealth’s newest Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) State Plan, and sought approval from the Board to submit it to its federal partners. Read more here!
The Governor’s Interagency Early Education and Child Care Task Force is Underway
The Governor’s Interagency Early Education and Care Task Force is led by the Secretaries of Education, Economic Development, and Labor and Workforce Development. It will give recommendations on a cross governmental approach to improve affordable access to high-quality early education and care for all families in Massachusetts. Read the executive order and learn more about the task force’s work here.
What To Do
Tell Your Legislators to Prioritize Early Education and Care in the Budget!
Now is the time to reach out to the Massachusetts budget Conference Committee to request prioritization of EEC in the final state budget! Contact the Conference Committee here.
What's Next
The EEC Board has completed their FY24 meetings and will resume meetings in September 2024. FY 2025 board meeting agendas and information on how to stream the meeting can be found here once they are available.
As noted, the FY25 state budget is now with the Conference Committee and the final budget is expected in early July, 2024. You can track the state budget process here.
The Governor’s Interagency Task Force on Early Education and Childcare will be seeking input from stakeholders this summer. Be on the lookout for how to make your voice heard.
