Neighborhood Villages Applauds Early Education Investments in FY25 State Budget Compromise
Proposal Includes $1.52 Billion For Early Education and Care, Makes C3 Grant Program Permanent
BOSTON, MA (July 19, 2024) - Neighborhood Villages — a Boston-based nonprofit that advocates for solutions to the greatest challenges faced by the early education and care sector — today celebrated investments in the early education sector put forth by the Massachusetts Legislature in their FY25 budget conference committee report. The reforms in this year's budget are the first significant updates to the Early Education statute in Massachusetts since the creation of the Department of Early Education and Care in 2005.
The committee report commits $1.52 billion to early education and care and makes the Commonwealth Cares for Children (C3) grant program permanent. The proposal, which will now move to the House and Senate for final approval, also includes provisions to expand child care financial assistance eligibility up to 125% SMI, to increase benefits for early educators with scholarships and loan forgiveness, and to direct the Department of Early Education and Care to establish a career ladder to boost early educator salaries.
Lauren Kennedy, co-president of Neighborhood Villages, issued the following statement:
“Thank you to House and Senate leadership, Senate Chair Rodrigues and House Chair Michlewitz, lead negotiators, and the Conference Committee, for their dedicated efforts to secure crucial investments in early education and care in the FY25 state budget. We are grateful to Senate President Spilka and House Speaker Mariano and the entire Legislature for their continued commitment to improving our early education and child care sector.
“This budget proposal is a landmark milestone for providers in Massachusetts, particularly with respect to making permanent direct-to-provider grants (C3), which have been transformational for the field. Additionally, provisions to expand child care financial assistance eligibility and improve benefits, salaries, and career development opportunities for early educators, mark a significant step forward in recognizing the critical role that early education plays in the lives of children and families in the Commonwealth.
“We applaud the Legislature’s leadership and look forward to continuing our work together to ensure that every child has access to high-quality early education and care.”
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About Neighborhood Villages
Neighborhood Villages, founded in 2017 by Lauren Kennedy and Sarah Muncey, is a Boston-based systems-change non-profit that advocates for early education and care policy reform and implements scalable solutions that address the biggest challenges facing providers and the families who rely on them. For more information, visit https://www.neighborhoodvillages.org/our-work.
