Boston, Massachusetts – A recent report from the University of Massachusetts Boston has shed light on the potential impact of legislation aimed at providing financial assistance for early education and child care, reducing costs for families, and increasing access to these programs. While the legislation could bring substantial benefits to families and the workforce, it would also shift the financial burden from families onto the state, amounting to approximately $1.7 billion.
The report emphasizes the importance of affordable and accessible child care and early education, highlighting its significance in children’s development and its role in enabling parents, especially mothers, to participate in the workforce. The legislation seeks to provide financial assistance to families with incomes at or below 85 percent of the state’s median income, reducing the cost burden and lifting many families, particularly single-parent households, out of poverty.
Key findings from the report:
- Nearly half of Massachusetts families with children under 14 (or under 17 for children with special needs) would be eligible for the proposed financial assistance, saving the average eligible family $13,260 per year.
- The percentage of family income going toward child care would decrease from an average of 17.2 percent to an average of 4.3 percent, significantly reducing the financial burden on families.
- Increased availability of financial aid would result in higher enrollment rates in licensed child care and early education programs, with infant enrollment rising from 55 percent to 75 percent, toddler enrollment from 66 percent to 82 percent, and preschool enrollment from 64 percent to 76 percent.
- The legislation would facilitate an estimated 10,400 mothers to enter or re-enter the workforce, with 21,000 currently employed parents increasing their working hours.
- The overall family poverty rate would decline from 15.5 percent to 14.1 percent.
Deb Fastino, director of the Common Start Coalition, emphasized the importance of addressing the child care crisis, citing the economic impact of inadequate access to child care, estimated at $2.7 billion annually.
The legislative proposal has garnered widespread support and is co-sponsored by a majority of legislators in both branches. With Massachusetts leaders recognizing the significance of early education and child care, including Governor Maura Healey, House Speaker Ronald Mariano, and Senate President Karen Spilka, there is a growing commitment to making substantial investments in this essential sector. The new state budget passed in July already included significant investments in early education and child care.
As discussions and hearings on early education and child care legislation continue in Beacon Hill, Massachusetts aims to address the child care crisis and ensure more affordable, accessible, and high-quality care for families across the state.
