Neighborhood Villages Celebrates FY25 State Budget
Signed Budget Strengthens Early Education and Care
Boston, MA (July 29, 2024) – Neighborhood Villages, a Boston-Based nonprofit dedicated to advancing early education and care, celebrated Governor Maura Healey’s approval today of the FY25 state budget. This year’s budget allocates a record $1.5 billion towards early education and care initiatives. Key provisions include the establishment of the permanent Commonwealth Cares for Children (C3) direct-to-provider grant program and significant expansions in child care financial assistance eligibility.
Lauren Kennedy, co-president of Neighborhood Villages, issued the following statement:
“We commend Governor Healey for her leadership in prioritizing early education and care in this year’s budget. This $1.5 billion investment underscores our state’s commitment to supporting families and providers across Massachusetts. By making C3 grants permanent and expanding financial aid eligibility, this budget not only provides stability for child care providers but also increases access and affordability to care for Massachusetts families.
“Thank you to Governor Healey, Senate President Spilka, House Speaker Mariano, and the entire Legislature for their commitment to transforming our early education system. These critical investments will elevate early educators, improve child care quality, and lay a solid foundation for future generations to thrive. We look forward to collaborating with our state leaders to build upon this progress and continue working towards equitable access to high-quality early education and care for all families in Massachusetts.”
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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.