Neighborhood Villages Applauds Governor Healey for $1.6B Investment in Early Education in Proposed FY25 Budget
BOSTON, MA (January 24, 2024) - Neighborhood Villages — a Boston-based nonprofit that advocates for solutions to the greatest challenges faced by the early education sector — applauded Governor Maura Healey for committing more than $1.6 billion in early education funding in her proposed fiscal year 2025 budget announced today.
The budget includes major new child care affordability initiatives including extending funding to ensure access to preschool for all children in Gateway Cities by 2026; continuing direct-to-provider operations grants; and significantly increasing income eligibility for child care subsidies for low- and moderate-income families.
Lauren Kennedy, co-president of Neighborhood Villages, issued the following statement:
“We are thrilled to see this major investment in early education by Governor Healey in her proposed FY25 budget, especially her commitment to improving access to child care financial assistance for lower income families and the continuation of direct-to-provider operations grants. We know how critical an affordable and accessible child care system is to children, families and our economy and these proposed funds serve as an important step toward a child care system that is accessible for all families in the Commonwealth. We are fortunate to live in a state that is leading the way on child care reform and look forward to continuing our work with state leaders to create a better early education system for all.”
Background
State-level data from 2022 from the Center for American Progress shows:
In Massachusetts, the average annual child care tuition for two children in center-based care is $43,000, far exceeding the national average of around $24,000.
More than 60,000 Massachusetts parents have reported job changes due to problems with child care.
Child care workers in Massachusetts are paid an average hourly wage of about $18.
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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.
