Neighborhood Villages Statement on FY24 Legislative Budget Veto Overrides To Support Early Education And Care
BOSTON, MA (October 6, 2023) - Today, Neighborhood Villages — a Boston-based nonprofit that advocates for solutions to the greatest challenges faced by the early education sector — celebrated the Massachusetts’ State Legislature’s FY24 budget veto overrides to restore critical funding for early education and care resources, and resulting in a FY24 state budget that prioritizes children, parents, and providers.
Lauren Kennedy, co-president of Neighborhood Villages, issued the following statement:
“This year’s state budget commits a historic $1.5 billion to early education and care. Specifically, we celebrate the inclusion of $475 million earmarked for the Commonwealth Cares for Children (C3) grant program. These direct-to-provider operations grants have proven indispensable in sustaining the early education and child care sector. Continuing this program with state funding protects Massachusetts from the childcare funding cliff many other states face this month.
We also thank the Legislature for restoring funding to Head Start, funding for early education teacher priority access to state financial assistance for their own childcare needs, and ensuring a robust annual increase in reimbursement rates for providers accepting childcare subsidies.
We are grateful to Governor Healey, the Legislature, advocates, and our legislative champions for their unwavering commitment to early education and childcare. This final budget signals a positive step forward and sets a precedent for a future where quality child care is accessible and equitable for families. We remain committed in our fight for child care workforce development, improved wages, and affordable quality child care, advocating for all families across 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 here.
