Historic Early Education Investments Highlighted at Senate Roundtable in Worcester

Historic Early Education Investments Highlighted at Senate Roundtable in Worcester 

Senate President Spilka, Senator Kennedy meet with providers, parents, and educators    

(WORCESTER—9/25/2024) A delegation from the Massachusetts Senate today joined a roundtable of Worcester’s early education and care leaders to discuss the impact of the historic $1.5 billion investment made in the sector in the Legislature’s Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) budget.   

Senator Robyn Kennedy hosted Senate President Karen Spilka, Senator Michael Moore, and Senator Peter Durant at the Worcester YWCA, where they took part in a wide-ranging discussion about the state of early education and care in the Worcester region and across the state.   

Participants discussed how provisions of the state budget have created breathing room in family finances, lightened the load of educators, and will help providers keep the doors open in their community.   

“Being in Worcester and hearing directly from providers today is a powerful reminder of why investing in early education and care is imperative,” said Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). “When we give providers and families the resources they need, kids get the education they deserve, parents can return to the workforce, and educators can fully commit to a career that they are passionate about. I’m grateful to Senator Kennedy for her unwavering advocacy for early education, and for assembling us today to hear from people impacted by this issue.”  

“Access to affordable, high-quality early education is essential for working families and the future of our economy. The reforms included in this year’s budget are a game-changer for early education in Massachusetts, providing much-needed support to both families and educators,” said Senator Robyn K. Kennedy (D-First Worcester). “From expanding subsidies to creating a career ladder for our dedicated educators, these investments will have a lasting impact on our communities. I’m thrilled to host Senate President Spilka in Worcester to hear directly from providers and continue our work toward making early education and care accessible for all.”  

The Fiscal Year 2025 budget that was passed by the Legislature and signed into law by the Governor transformed how Massachusetts delivers resources to early education and care providers around the state.   

Investments from the Fiscal Year 2025 budget, totaling over $1.55 billion, include $475 million for the Commonwealth Cares for Children (C3) grants, and $18.5 million for Head Start grants.  

Over $200 million of the funding was from the Fair Share surtax of four per cent on annual income above $1 million, to fund investments including:   

·       $175 million for the Commonwealth Cares for Children (C3) program to provide monthly grants to early education and care programs, which is matched with $300 million in funds from the new Early Education and Care Operational Grant Fund and the High-Quality Early Education and Care Affordability Fund for a total investment of $475 million.  

·       $65 million for early education and care provider rate increases, to increase salaries for our early educators. 

·       $5 million for the CPPI Pre-K Initiative, matching $17.5 million in funds from the general fund, for a total of $22.5 million to support the expansion of universal pre-kindergarten, including in Gateway Cities.  

FY25 is the second fiscal year in a row which the annual state budget includes a full year of funding for C3 grants, signaling a historic commitment to maintain this crucial lifeline for our early education and care sector. The budget also makes the C3 program permanent, while including provisions to direct more funds from the C3 program to early education and programs that serve children receiving childcare subsidies from the state and youth with high needs.