In each issue of the Policy Pulse, you will find an overview of what’s happening with Massachusetts and national child care policy and information on what you can do to take action and join the movement for a transformed early education and care system. You’ll also find resources, reports, and advocacy tools. In this issue of the Policy Pulse we share important updates on the Commonwealth Cares for Children (C3) operations grants program, Child Care Financial Assistance, and the Massachusetts Legislative session. You’ll also find updates on federal orders and appointments that impact early education. Let’s dive in.

What To Know

The Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care Held Its February Board Meeting

• The Board of Massachusetts’ Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) most recently met on February 12, 2025. 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 are highlights of what happened at the February Board meeting:

  • An update on Child Care Financial Assistance (CCFA) caseloads revealed that the program is currently serving more than 62,000 children. Nearly 31,000 children are on the CCFA waitlist.

  • A discussion of the Commonwealth Cares for Children (C3) grants program highlighted that the initiative is working as intended. For example, average teacher wages have increased by nearly 20% in the last three years.

  • The Board approved draft regulatory changes to CCFA. These changes are now posted for public comment.

  • EEC is undertaking IT modernization efforts, including development of a new educator online portal and new family online portal. Read more here!

Check Out Our New Blog

Neighborhood Villages recently published a blog about how high-quality early education and child care is key to improving the United States’ declining literacy and math scores. You can read it here.

Recent Federal Actions That May Impact Early Education and Child Care

On February 6th President Donald Trump issued a memo directing the heads of United States executive departments and agencies to review all funding they provide to nongovernmental organizations. He further stated that departments’ future funding decisions must align with the goals and priorities of the Trump administration, as expressed in the president’s executive actions; the judgment of the agency directors’; and applicable law.

On February 15th President Trump issued an executive order stating that discretionary federal funds may not be used for an educational service agency, state educational agency, local educational agency, elementary school, secondary school, or institution of higher education that requires students to have a COVID-19 vaccination to attend an in-person education program.

Federal Confirmations Are In Process

Neighborhood Villages is closely tracking appointments for the key federal agencies that most impact early education and child care, including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the U.S. Department of Education, and the U.S. Department of Labor. To select agency heads, the president first nominates a secretary for each agency; that nominee then needs to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Here is the latest on President Trump’s appointments:

• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS): President’s Trump's nominee for Secretary of HHS, Robert Kennedy Jr., was confirmed by the U.S. Senate and sworn into office.

• U.S. Department of Education: President’s Trump's nominee for Secretary of Education, Linda MacMahon, was confirmed in committee on February 13th. Her nomination now goes to the full senate.

• U.S. Department of Labor: President’s Trump's nominee for Secretary of Labor, Lori Chavez-DeRemer, had her committee confirmation hearing on February 19th. The committee is scheduled to vote on her confirmation on February 27th.

The Massachusetts Legislature Now In Session

Massachusetts legislators submitted more than 6,500 bills to be considered for the 2025-2027 legislative session. There are over sixty bills related to early education and child care. The bills include a wide range of legislation including some to  expand pre-kindergarten, create additional revenue sources for early education and child care, increase the wages of care workers, and more. Check out our new blog and fact sheet for more detail!

What To Do

Deepen Your Knowledge of the State Budget Process and How to Advocate for Your Priorities

Join Neighborhood Villages for a 4-part Budget Bootcamp series designed to help families and educators better understand the state budget process. Whether you’re looking to advocate for change or simply want to understand where public funding goes, this 4 part series beginning February 25th at 6:30pm is perfect for you. Together, we’ll explore the tools and knowledge you need to engage in informed discussions and take an active role in shaping the future of our state’s budget. Register here.

Contact Your Legislators

The Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) Massachusetts state budget is under consideration. Now is the perfect time to reach out to your state Representative and state Senator to let them know child care is your top issue and what your funding priorities are. Click here to find your state legislators' contact info.

Federal funding and regulations are key for early education and child care in Massachusetts. This is especially true for Head Start, CCFA, Public PreK, and Special Education Services for young children. Reach out to your federal legislators to let them know how important early education and care is to you. You can find their contact information here.

In Case You Missed it: Breaking down Governor Healey’s Fy2026 budget proposal

Budgets can be complicated. To provide clarity on the Governors FY26 budget proposal, we hosted a Budget Breakdown event with our partners at Strategies for Children. You can watch the recording in English, Portuguese or Spanish. Read more about the Governor’s Budget proposal on our Massachusetts State Budget page.

Share Your Thoughts on the Policy Pulse

Ten months ago we launched the Neighborhood Villages Policy Pulse to provide a regular digest on early education policy. We want to make sure we are getting you the information you need in the way you need it. We want your input to keep improving the Neighborhood Villages Policy Pulse. Complete this brief survey to share your thoughts with us. 

What’s Next

• The next meeting of the EEC Board of Directors will be on March 12, 2025 at 1:00pm. A full schedule of meetings as well as recordings and meeting materials can be found here. We will share a full recap of this meeting in the next issue of the Policy Pulse.

• A report from Governor Healey’s Interagency Taskforce on Early Education and Child Care is expected in the next month.

• Massachusetts legislative Committee assignments and Chairpersonships are expected to be announced in early March. This will include a new House Chair for the Joint Committee on Education, which oversees early education legislation.

• The next step in the Massachusetts state budget process is the release of the House Ways and Means Committee’s proposal. The proposal is expected to be released in mid April.