Neighborhood Villages Statement on $1.8B Investment in Early Education in Governor Healey’s Proposed FY26 Budget and Supplemental Budget

BOSTON, MA (January 22, 2025) - 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 a combined $1.8 billion in early education funding, including $475 million for Commonwealth Cares for Children (C3) grants in her proposed Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) budget and supplemental budgets announced today. 

Lauren Kennedy, co-president of Neighborhood Villages, issued the following statement:

“We are grateful to Governor Healey for her continued commitment to early education and care as demonstrated through historic funding for the sector in her FY2026 budget proposal. The investments in this year’s budget demonstrate continued commitment to programs that have been instrumental in strengthening the state’s child care system and making child care more affordable and accessible for more families. 

“We look forward to working together with the Governor and the Legislature throughout the budget process to move forward thoughtful public investments that support the growth and success of the early education and care workforce and the children in their 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.