Where We Work

At Neighborhood Villages, we prioritize keeping up with the policy landscape in the early education and care field, both across the country and in Massachusetts. That includes tuning-in to the monthly meetings of the Massachusetts Board of Early Education and Care (“EEC Board”), to stay apprised of updates and to identify opportunities for how we can work with government and other stakeholders to improve our early education and care system.

Last year, Neighborhood Villages introduced Learning Through Exploration, our free, play-based curriculum developed in collaboration with educators, curriculum experts, community members, the LEGO Foundation, and Boston Public Schools. We recently spoke with Edna Cabral – a Massachusetts FCC provider of 22 years and a participant in our Learning Through Exploration pilot program – about her experience with the curriculum.

Have you ever wondered how the state decides to spend public money in your community? 

At Neighborhood Villages, we set out to empower community members to learn more about this process and to advocate for the change they’d like to see.

In January of 2024 Governor Healey created an inter-agency task force on Early Education and Child Care to form a whole of government response to increase access to affordable, high quality child care. Read more about their goals here.

In 2024, the Massachusetts legislature passed a suite of policy reforms through the FY2025 budget which advocates had been pushing for since 2020. Here are the proposed regulation changes and what they mean for families in practice.

In 2024, Neighborhood Villages partnered with Amal Alliance, Horizons for Homeless Children, and the Healey-Driscoll Administration to launch Colori Express, an innovative mobile early learning initiative that provides developmentally appropriate and trauma-informed care to young children living in shelter and respite centers across Massachusetts.

What’s happening in early education and care this month.

The new Massachusetts’ legislative session began on January 1, 2025. While the legislative session in Massachusetts runs continuously for two years, all bills to be considered during the session must be filed in January. For this session of the state legislature, State Senators and Representatives submitted over 6500 bills.

Last month the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) released the 2024 4^th and 8^th grade math and reading scores. NAEP, also known as the Nation’s Report Card, is a congressionally mandated assessment given every two years to public school students in grades 4, 8, and 12.

At Neighborhood Villages, we prioritize keeping up with the policy landscape in the early education and care field, both across the country and in Massachusetts. That includes tuning-in to the monthly meetings of the Massachusetts Board of Early Education and Care (“EEC Board”), to stay apprised of updates and to identify opportunities for how we can work with government and other stakeholders to improve our early education and care system.

As we head into 2025 and an uncertain and unprecedented climate, Neighborhood Villages is as committed as ever to taking care of those who take care of young children.

In each issue of the Policy Pulse, you will find an overview of what’s happening with Massachusetts and national child care policy and information on what you can do to take action and join the movement for a transformed early education and care system. January brought a new federal administration, the start of the new state and federal legislative sessions, and the release of the Governor’s FY26 budget proposal.

At Neighborhood Villages, we prioritize keeping up with the policy landscape in the early education and care field, both across the country and in Massachusetts. That includes tuning-in to the monthly meetings of the Massachusetts Board of Early Education and Care (“EEC Board”), to stay apprised of updates and to identify opportunities for how we can work with government and other stakeholders to improve our early education and care system.

We heard firsthand from many wonderful educators who reflected on their experiences completing the Lead Teacher program with Neighborhood Villages’ support. Check out some of their stories, here!

In 2024, we proudly launched our free, play-based toddler learning curriculum, Learning Through Exploration, designed for educators, caregivers, and parents.

At Neighborhood Villages, we prioritize keeping up with the policy landscape in the early education and care field, both across the country and in Massachusetts. That includes tuning-in to the monthly meetings of the Massachusetts Board of Early Education and Care (“EEC Board”), to stay apprised of updates and to identify opportunities for how we can work with government and other stakeholders to improve our early education and care system.

Earlier this month, we partnered with Los Angeles-based non-profit Baby2Baby to distribute over 240,000 diapers across Massachusetts! 

In this issue of the Policy Pulse we share recent electoral and legislative wins for early education and care and important updates from the most recent Department of Early Education and Care Board meeting.

Out-of-school-time (OST) programs, which play an essential role during these hours, provide more than just before and after-school care – it’s an opportunity for kids to discover their passions, gain confidence, and build critical life skills.