Neighborhood Villages Commends Massachusetts Legislature for Passage of Economic Development Bill
Bill Includes $150 Million in Grants for Early Education and Care Providers; Increases Commitment to Early Education Fund by $315,000
BOSTON, MA (November 3, 2022) — Neighborhood Villages — a Boston-based nonprofit that advocates for solutions to the greatest challenges faced by the early education sector — today commended the Massachusetts Legislature for passage of An Act relating to economic growth and relief for the Commonwealth, which includes critical funds for the early education and care sector. The bill now goes to the desk of Governor Charlie Baker.
Lauren Kennedy, co-founder of Neighborhood Villages, issued the following statement:
“We applaud the Massachusetts Legislature for passing the economic development bill, which makes important investments in families and workers across the state who are struggling under the weight of inflation. This bill increases the commitment to the High-Quality Early Education & Care Affordability Fund from $175,000 to $490,000, a meaningful budgetary increase that signals a long-term commitment to the sector. This bill includes an additional $150 million for operational grants to early education and care providers to support their ability to raise wages, keep classrooms open for children and families, and support socially vulnerable communities. Now, more than ever, families across the Commonwealth are in desperate need of affordable care solutions, while at the same time, we are facing a workforce crisis in the child care sector. These funds are critical to preventing program closures, making investments in educator pay, allowing parents to work, and ensuring that children can access a high-quality early education that will set them up to thrive.”
These funds extend operational grants for providers, launched as part of the Commonwealth Cares for Children (C3) Stabilization Grant program.
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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.