Press Release: 2025-03-13 00:00:00

Healey-Driscoll Administration Releases Recommendations to Make Child Care More Affordable and Accessible

 



Child Care Task Force recommendations center on family affordability, sustainable high-quality local early ed businesses and workforce development



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:



3/12/2025



MEDIA CONTACT



Jason Law, Press Secretary and Events Coordinator



 Phone



Call Jason Law, Press Secretary and Events Coordinator at 617-895-6556



 Online



Email Jason Law, Press Secretary and Events Coordinator at Jason.Law@Mass.gov



BOSTON — The Healey-Driscoll Administration released a report today with recommendations to make early education and child care more accessible and affordable for all families in Massachusetts. These recommendations were crafted by Governor Healey’s Inter-Agency Early Education and Child Care Task Force, which was established last year in recognition of the essential role child care plays in driving the state’s economy and competitiveness forward. 



Secretaries of Education Patrick Tutwiler, Labor and Workforce Development Lauren Jones, and Economic Development Yvonne Hao and Early Education and Care Commissioner Amy Kershaw announced over 30 actionable efforts across five primary areas today at Ellis Early Learning, highlighting the state’s commitment to leading the nation in early education and child care access, affordability, equity, and quality: 




  • Ensure broad access and availability of early education and child care for families with young children. 

  • Support high-quality early education and child care programming.

  • Foster sustainable business conditions for all types of programs with fewer barriers to entry.

  • Make early education and child care affordable for all families, prioritizing those with the highest needs.

  • Build a robust workforce ecosystem that supports the growth and wellbeing of educators and providers. 



“We have made a lot of progress in the last two years, from expanding affordable child care seats to increasing educator wages to providing programs with more financial support. But we know that more needs to be done. That’s why we are proud to share these recommendations today that outline the ways in which we can continue making early education and child care more affordable and accessible,” said Governor Maura Healey. “Child care is central to the success of our entire state, and together we are taking important steps toward solutions.” 



“I want to thank all of the parents, caregivers, educators and child care providers who attended a listening session or provided written feedback – your experiences and ideas have helped us outline short and long term efforts to make child care more affordable, accessible and equitable across our state,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “Access to affordable early education and care sets our youngest learners up to succeed in school and beyond, while also supporting our local economy and communities. Today’s recommendations highlight why Massachusetts is the best place to live, work, raise a family and go to school.” 



The Governor’s Task Force is co-chaired by the Secretaries of Education, Labor and Workforce Development, and Economic Development, and consists of leaders from every Secretariat in the Cabinet, taking a whole-of-government approach to affordable high-quality child care. Over the past year, the group hosted a series of 14 Listening Sessionsacross Massachusetts to hear directly from hundreds of parents, child care providers, and community stakeholders. These insights directly informed today’s strategic recommendations that include intermediate steps and immediate initiatives, as well as longer-term aims. 



“We know that education doesn’t start at kindergarten – it starts at birth. Early education and child care experiences spans some of the most important years in a child’s education and also promote a strong workforce and economy,” said Education Secretary Dr. Patrick Tutwiler. “I want to thank my colleagues for their partnership and collaboration in this critical work, dedicating time and resources to together improve educational opportunities for our youngest learners across the state and their families.”  



“Our administration has and will continue to work across secretariats to support a more affordable and accessible early education and child care system for Massachusetts’ caregivers and workforce,” said Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Lauren Jones. “Among recommendations, we will build on efforts to strengthen and grow a pipeline of early childhood educators through workforce strategies like Registered Apprenticeship and credentialing with academic partners for workers entering the field or looking to upskill and advance their careers.” 



“Affordable and accessible early education and child care is vital for expanding economic opportunity in our state,” said Economic Development Secretary Yvonne Hao. “These recommendations will help ensure adequate child care and resources for our youngest generations, empower parents and guardians to more fully participate in our workforce, and support the businesses that power the state's child care system – all while reaffirming our administration’s commitment to making Massachusetts the best places for families to start and grow.” 



"The Governor's whole-of-government approach brings new resources, thinking and innovations to address some of the early education and care sector's most pressing challenges. These recommendations build on the significant progress and investments we have already made in partnership with our legislative colleagues and are directly informed by the voices of hundreds of educators, program directors, advocates, parents and families across Massachusetts. I look forward to the work ahead with my colleagues across state government to deliver on this ground-breaking, collaborative approach," said Early Education and Care Commissioner Amy Kershaw. 



Examples of recommendations include: 




  • The Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs’ Office of Outdoor Recreation will work with EOE and EEC to help connect children, families, and programs to nature and resources to support the exploration of the outdoors and natural world, while also exploring regulatory changes to facilitate that exploration.

  • The Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities will explore incentives to encourage construction projects for housing renovation and new buildings that include spaces for EECC programs.

  • The Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance, EOE and EEC will explore opportunities to repurpose public physical space to expand EECC programs. 

  • The Executive Office of Health and Human Services and its agencies with EEC will work towards integrated eligibility, as well as to facilitate simpler enrollment in these programs with the support of MyMassGov’s universal profile, an initiative of Executive Office of Technology Services and Security.

  • In collaboration with MassDOT, Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, and municipalities, EOE and EEC will explore opportunities to provide traffic safety measures and signage to ensure the safety of children, families, staff and educators of providers in a manner similar to how K-12 schools are treated.

  • The state will maximize and focus small business resources offered by EOED, and their agencies, to support center-based and family child care programs, including exploring the expansion of some business development programs to non-profit EECC providers. 

  • EOLWD, EOE, and the Executive Office of Veterans Services, with support from EEC, DHE, and in collaboration with the Massachusetts Association of Community Colleges, will call attention to higher education opportunities facilitated by EEC, as well as create an institutionalized pathway to such opportunities, including for veterans, and make sure MassReconnect and MassEducate support the needs of the EECC sector.



“Since taking office, our administration has prioritized support for early education and child care in our state budget, providing resources to stabilize the system, expand access, and increase affordability," said Administration and Finance Secretary Matthew J. Gorzkowicz. "The Task Force's recommendations provide us with tools to continue strengthening this critical sector for our state, and I appreciate the thoughtful work that enabled today's report.”



“Nature serves as the best playground for children to learn and grow,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper. “Our agencies recognize the importance of outdoor play and are committed to ensuring that caregivers and educators have access to our natural resources. Creating avenues for families to explore and recreate outdoors, supports the development of heathy children and communities.” 



"We're proud to partner with our colleagues across state government in this work to make child care more accessible, which we know is central to family stability and well-being," said Health and Human Services Secretary Kate Walsh. "Alongside EEC and team, we're working to make sure that our state's early childhood educators, in addition to our youngest learners and their families, are able to take full advantage of our nation-leading health care and human services available in Massachusetts."



“Many Massachusetts families must delicately balance the cost of housing and childcare in their monthly budgets, and we want to make it easier for them,” said Housing and Livable Communities Secretary Ed Augustus. “As EOHLC continues to expand affordable housing options across the state and works to bring down housing costs for all residents, we will collaborate with our interagency partners to ensure families also have access to affordable childcare, including encouraging developers to support on-site childcare services in new and renovated developments.”



“I commend the dedicated work of everyone involved in this vital initiative. The commitment and collaboration across state government, under the leadership of Governor Healey and Lieutenant Governor Driscoll, has been instrumental to developing innovative solutions that advance access to affordable, high-quality childcare and support the unique needs of emergency responders,” said Public Safety and Security Secretary Terrence Reidy. “This achievement not only supports families statewide but also enhances our ability to attract and retain the next generation of public safety professionals.” 



“The Healey-Driscoll Administration is committed to providing residents with simple, secure, accessible digital services.  A great example is EEC’s leadership to advance a modern Child Care Financial Assistance system, funded by an authorization in the FutureTech Act,” said Technology Services and Security Secretary Jason Snyder. “Along with making it easier for providers to administer the program, TSS looks forward to implementing the Task Force’s recommendation to ensure that enrollment is simpler by leveraging the MyMassGov universal profile. I thank the Task Force for recognizing technology’s critical role in delivering affordable, high-quality child care.” 



“The Healey-Driscoll administration is taking concrete steps across agencies to expand residents’ access to educational, cultural, economic, and transportation opportunities,” said Transportation Secretary and CEO Monica Tibbits-Nutt. “The recommendations from the Task Force align with our commitment to ensuring all families have a better quality of life. At MassDOT, we look forward to working alongside other secretariats, municipalities, and partners to implement additional safety measures around locations that serve our youngest children, their families, and educators.”



“For many veterans and military families, access to affordable, high-quality child care is essential to building a stable future. Our administration is expanding access and creating new career pathways to ensure they have the support they need to succeed,” said Veterans Services Secretary Jon Santiago.



The full report and recommendations can be found online at Mass.gov/ChildCareTaskForce.