Healey-Driscoll Administration Concludes Statewide Child Care Listening Sessions
Hundreds of parents, providers and stakeholders offered
feedback to inform state’s whole-of-government approach to affordable child
care
BOSTON – The Healey-Driscoll Administration
concluded a series of 14 in-person and virtual listening sessions across
Massachusetts this week that will inform the Early Education and Child Care
Task Force’s recommendations and broader strategy to ensure accessible and
affordable high-quality child care for all families. Nearly 1,000 community
members engaged in the listening sessions, and the Task Force received direct
feedback from hundreds of parents, child care providers, and community
stakeholders who joined Secretary of Education Tutwiler, Secretary of Economic
Development Hao, Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Jones, Early
Education and Care Commissioner Kershaw and other task force members. The
feedback will be reviewed and included in the Task Force’s final report to be
released later this year.
"Early education and child care is a top priority for
our administration. I want to thank the providers, families, and community
members who attended these sessions or submitted written feedback,” said Governor
Maura Healey. “We made meaningful progress in the last year and a
half, including continuing C3 grants and making them permanent, increasing
provider rates, and expanding universal access to pre-k in gateway cities and
rural communities – but we know there is much more work to be done. This input
will be vital as we work towards creating a more equitable and affordable child
care system.”
“These statewide listening sessions provided parents,
caregivers, educators and child care providers a platform to share their
experiences and ideas from Pittsfield to Bourne,” said Lieutenant
Governor Kim Driscoll. “The feedback gathered will play a crucial role
in shaping future policies and initiatives aimed at enhancing affordable and
accessible early education and child care for all Massachusetts families,
making our state the best place to live, work, raise a family and go to
school.”
The listening sessions are part of the administration’s
Early Education and Child Care Task Force established under Governor
Healey's Executive Order 625 and a central component of
their ‘Gateway to Pre-K’ agenda. The Early Education and Child
Care Task Force is chaired by the Secretaries of Education, Labor and Workforce
Development, and Economic Development, and includes all other secretariats or
their designees.
“I was consistently inspired and energized by the powerful
response we received from the early education and care community these last
three weeks. Thank you to every person who came and shared their challenges and
successes with us,” said Education Secretary Dr. Patrick Tutwiler. “Education
doesn’t start at kindergarten – it starts at birth. These sessions are a
critical part of our work to ensure our youngest learners receive the highest
quality education they deserve, setting them up for school and lifetime
success.”
“This series demonstrated the ‘whole-of-government’
approach, bringing together state agencies to not only listen to community
stakeholders but also learn of creative ideas, feedback, and solutions that
will strengthen Massachusetts’ early childhood education system,” said Secretary of Labor and
Workforce Development Lauren Jones. “Child care is critical infrastructure
that is needed to attract and retain talent across industries and statewide,
and also critical infrastructure to build the talent pipeline of early
childhood educators ready to prepare our youngest learners.”
“Affordable, high-quality child care is a cornerstone of our
state’s economic vitality and the strength of our communities,” said Economic
Development Secretary Yvonne Hao. “The feedback from the Statewide Child
Care Listening Sessions is invaluable as we work to build a more inclusive and
accessible child care system that supports working families and fosters the
development of our youngest residents. The insights gained will guide our
efforts to create solutions that not only meet the immediate needs of families
but also set the foundation for long-term economic stability and
prosperity.”
Key themes that emerged from the sessions include the need
for more child care accessibility – particularly in underserved areas –
affordability, quality of care and workforce supports, including better
compensation, benefits and professional development opportunities to attract
and retain qualified employees. Photos and videos from the listening sessions are available
online.
"We need a strong child care sector in order for people
to go to work, go back to work, or participate in education and training,
advancing their economic mobility goals,” said Early Education and Care
Commissioner Amy Kershaw. “I want to thank all of the partners who came out
and shared their thoughts on the many strengths of our current system, the
challenges and areas for improvement, and their aspirations for how we can
transform our system to respond most effectively to the needs of all children
and families across the Commonwealth.”
Many participants celebrated the Commonwealth Cares for Children (C3) program, which contributed to a 7 percent increase in child care programs last
year, adding more than 10,600 child care seats across the state. Governor
Healey’s signing of the Fiscal Year 2025 budget last week made
this program permanent, subject to appropriation. Massachusetts is the only
state in the nation to continue funding this vital program at the same level
that the federal government did previously.
“Access to high-quality, affordable early education and
childcare is essential for the healthy development of young children, as well
as for the economic well-being of working families and employers in the
Commonwealth,” said State Senator Jason Lewis, Senate Chair of the
Joint Committee on Education. “I am grateful to the Healey-Driscoll
Administration and the Early Education and Child Care Task force for putting
together these listening sessions across the state to ensure that their
recommendations for future action reflect the needs of our families and
childcare providers.
“Equity and opportunity in the Commonwealth can only exist
when every child and family has access to affordable and high-quality childcare
and early education,” said Cape and Islands Senator Julian Cyr. "Cape
Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket have long lagged behind the rest of the
Commonwealth in our ability to obtain essential services such as childcare and
early education. I am pleased and proud of the work that the Healey-Driscoll
Administration is undertaking to address the needs of parents, guardians, and
children for quality care and educational opportunities. I am grateful to
Secretary Tutwiler, Commissioner Kershaw, and all the members of the Task Force
for their robust engagement in our communities and across the Commonwealth. I
look forward to the coming work of the Task Force and future action based on
its work and findings.”
“Providing accessible and affordable high-quality child care
for all families is a top priority for my administration and the Commonwealth,”
said Lynn Mayor Jared Nicholson. “We are grateful to the
Healey-Driscoll Administration for their commitment to collaborative, open
dialogue with families that help build a foundation where all children receive
the care and education they deserve.”
The Task Force is still eager to hear from
working parents, caregivers, education and business leaders, early education
and child care providers, and all others in the community. For more information
about the Massachusetts Child Care Task Force and how to provide written
feedback, please visit Mass.gov/ChildCareTaskForce.
