Governor Healey Announces Nearly $2 Million to Expand Employer-Supported Child Care

Governor Healey Announces Nearly $2 Million to Expand Employer-Supported Child Care 

 

Pilot program will help employers expand child care options, support working families and strengthen Massachusetts' workforce 

BOSTON — The Healey-Driscoll Administration today awarded nearly $2 million through the Employer Child Care Innovation Fund (ECCIF) pilot to support partnerships between employers, child care providers and community organizations that will expand access to affordable, reliable child care across Massachusetts. The grants will help working families find the care they need while helping employers recruit and retain the workforce they depend on.  

 

Launched in 2024, the Employer Child Care Innovation Fund encourages employer-led solutions that expand child care capacity, support care during nontraditional work hours and develop new employer-supported child care models. The initiative reflects the Healey-Driscoll Administration's commitment to making Massachusetts more affordable while strengthening the state's workforce and economy. 

 

"Finding affordable, reliable child care shouldn't stand between parents and a good job," said Governor Maura Healey. "These partnerships will help families access the care they need, help businesses recruit and retain talented employees, and make Massachusetts more affordable and competitive." 

 

"Communities and employers know what their workforce needs, and these grants will help them build solutions that work locally," said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. "We're proud to support partnerships that expand child care options, strengthen our economy and make it easier for families to succeed.” 

 

"Every family deserves access to high-quality, affordable child care," said Education Secretary Steve Zrike. "These projects will help expand opportunities for families, while supporting providers and strengthening the Commonwealth's early education and care system." 

 

This year's grantees represent employers and community partners from across Massachusetts, reflecting a range of industries, business sizes and regional needs. Their projects will expand child care capacity, increase access during nontraditional work hours and pilot employer-supported child care models that can be replicated across the state: 

• Berkshire United Way: $400,000 
• Community Day Care Center of Lawrence, Inc. (dba The Community Group): $550,000 
• Seaport Orthodontics (dba Seaport Smiles): $150,000 
• United Way of North Central MA: $800,000 

The selected projects will pilot employer-supported child care models that reflect the needs of Massachusetts workers and businesses, including expanded infant care, care during nontraditional work hours, employer-funded child care assistance, and new technology to connect families with available care. Together, these projects will serve workers in industries such as health care, human services and hospitality while testing approaches that can be expanded statewide. 

 

"Early education and child care are critical parts of the Massachusetts' economic infrastructure," said Early Education and Care Commissioner Amy Kershaw. "Affordable, reliable child care is essential to a strong workforce, and employers have an important role to play in shaping solutions. This pilot program supports new partnerships that will directly expand access to high-quality child care for working families while helping the Commonwealth and employers identify new approaches to recruiting and retaining the workforce we need." 

 

"Massachusetts' economic competitiveness depends on employers being able to attract and retain talented workers, and access to affordable child care is a critical part of that equation," said Economic Development Secretary Eric Paley. "These grants will help employers and community partners develop innovative child care solutions that meet local workforce needs, support working families, and strengthen our economy for the long term." 

 

“Expanding access to affordable, quality child care is one of the most important steps we can take to support working families and strengthen our workforce,” said Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Lauren Jones. “By awarding these grants to community partners and a coalition of employers, we are creating new solutions to deliver child care services that will assist working families and, in turn, better position caregivers to participate in the workforce and help businesses attract and retain the talent they need.” 
 

"The Employer Child Care Innovation Fund demonstrates what's possible when the public and private sectors work together to solve workforce challenges," said Alanna Mallon, Executive Director of the Commonwealth Corporation Foundation. "These grants will support innovative partnerships that help working families access reliable child care while strengthening employers' ability to recruit and retain talent. We are proud to partner with the Healey-Driscoll Administration, the Early Education and Child Care Task Force co-chairs and the Department of Early Education and Care to move this investment from vision to implementation and look forward to supporting these projects as they create lasting impact across Massachusetts.” 

 

The Employer Child Care Innovation Fund, administered by Commonwealth Corporation in partnership with the Department of Early Education and Care, is part of the Healey-Driscoll Administration's broader strategy to expand access to affordable, high-quality child care while strengthening the Commonwealth's workforce. The initiative advances the work of the administration's Inter-Agency Early Education and Child Care Task Force and builds on historic investments included in the recently signed the Fiscal Year 2027 state budget, including continued support for the Commonwealth Cares for Children (C3) program, the Commonwealth Preschool Partnership Initiative (CPPI), and $1.2 billion in child care financial assistance to help approximately 72,000 children and their families afford care. 

 

“Access to high-quality, affordable early education and care has long been a priority of mine. It is essential to our children's success, enables parents to participate fully in the workforce, and strengthens our economy. I am encouraged by these innovative partnerships and hopeful that this initiative will move us closer to ensuring every family in the Commonwealth has access to the child care they need to thrive,” said Assistant Majority Leader Alice Peisch.  

 

"I'm pleased to see this program put into action, helping expand access to affordable child care for working families across the Commonwealth." said Representative Ken Gordon, House Chair of the Joint Committee on Education. "It is an investment in our children, our families, and our businesses." 

 

"Innovative employer-engaged child care solutions have the potential to support the success of Massachusetts families, strengthen our labor force, and bolster our overall economic competitiveness,” said Tom Weber, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Business Coalition for Early Childhood Education. “These locally designed, pioneering child care partnerships will contribute to the creation of a world-class early childhood education system that will help Massachusetts continue to be best-in-class for family well-being and the smart choice for employers seeking top talent." 

 

“The Roundtable has long advocated for high quality early education and child care as a workforce development strategy, an economic development strategy, and an effective investment in children and their families,” said JD Chesloff, President & CEO of the Massachusetts Business Roundtable. “The Employer Child Care Innovation Fund is the exact public-private model we need to encourage partnerships, identify innovative initiatives, and scale them to maximize their benefit statewide. We are grateful to the Healey-Driscoll Administration and legislature for their leadership and are encouraged by employer enthusiasm for this program and the promise it holds for future expansion of employer supported child care.” 

 

The administration will recognize this year's recipients at a celebration later this summer. The event will feature a roundtable discussion with grantees, employers, and child care leaders to showcase the innovative partnerships made possible through the program and explore how employer-supported child care can help strengthen Massachusetts' workforce and economy.