Neighborhood Villages Applauds Senate for Early Education Funding in Proposed FY24 Budget
The Senate Ways and Means Committee’s FY24 Budget Includes $1.5 Billion For Early Education and Care, Including $475 Million for Child Care Operations Grants
BOSTON, MA (May 10, 2023) - Today, Neighborhood Villages — a Boston-based nonprofit that advocates for solutions to the greatest challenges faced by the early education sector — applauded the Massachusetts Senate Ways and Means Committee’s $1.5 billion investment in early education and care in its $55.8 billion FY24 budget proposal. The proposed budget includes $475 million for direct-to-provider operations grants and $80 million in funds from the Education-Transportation Trust Fund established for revenue resulting from the Fair Share Amendment.
Lauren Kennedy, co-president of Neighborhood Villages, issued the following statement:
“We commend the Senate for this major investment in early education and care — a signal that child care reform is possible in Massachusetts.
“The proposed funding for child care operations grants is vital not only for keeping the child care sector afloat, but for its long-term viability and growth, as well. These grants are integral to creating a healthier, more equitable and accessible early education and care system across the Commonwealth.
“Further, the use of Fair Share funds for early education signals a movement toward treating and funding child care like the public good that it is. We are encouraged by the recent historic child care investments made by Governor Healey, the House, and the Senate and hope that we can continue this momentum to finally fix this broken system and deliver solutions to families, children, and educators across our state.”
Background
The Senate’s proposed budget also includes:
$819M for financial assistance to families, including $25M to reduce the current waitlist and $20M to increase rates to providers;
$15M for scholarships for child care educators to pay for their own children's care;
$30M for a preschool partnership program to expand access to pre-kindergarten and preschool opportunities in underserved areas;
$5M for childhood mental health consultation services for early education and care providers; and
$10M for higher education opportunities for early education educators.
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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.
