Press Release: 5/2/2025

Massachusetts Ranked Best State for Working Moms

 

Latest national ranking gives Massachusetts top marks for its child care system and strong paid family medical leave program 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

5/01/2025

MEDIA CONTACT

Karissa Hand, Press Secretary

 Phone

Call Karissa Hand, Press Secretary at 617-725-4025

BOSTON — The Healey-Driscoll Administration today is celebrating a recent national ranking of Massachusetts as the best state for working moms, beating out larger states like Florida and California and neighboring states like Connecticut, Rhode Island and New Hampshire. 

WalletHub compared state dynamics across 17 key metrics in all 50 states to determine the top spot, including child care quality, number of child care workers per number of children, parental-leave policies, and the average length of a woman’s work week, ranking Massachusetts number one overall. The state was also number one for its child care system and work-life balance. 

“We are proud to see Massachusetts recognized as the best state for working moms in the country,” said Governor Maura Healey. “Our greatest strength is our people. We are home to the best child care programs and schools, the most innovative businesses and a strong paid family medical leave program. Our administration has made progress to expand the number of child care seats, increase educator wages and stabilize child care business. We are dedicated to building on this momentum by continuing to invest in our communities, make Massachusetts more affordable, and ensure that we remain the best place to live for future generations.”

“Our administration has prioritized child care because we know that for many parents, especially working moms, affordable child care is the difference between going for that promotion and cutting back to part-time,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “Child care is an essential part of our economy – it’s good for families and it’s good for business. Team Massachusetts will continue to prioritize making child care more affordable and accessible for all families.” 

Through the Paid Medical and Family Leave program, most Massachusetts workers are eligible for up to 26 weeks of combined family and medical leave for qualifying reasons, including caring for a serious health condition, caring for a family member with a serious health, bonding with your child during the first 12 months after birth, adoption, or placement, caring for a family member who was injured serving in the armed forces, and managing affairs while a family member is on active duty.

“The Healey-Driscoll administration values caregivers in the workplace, and we remain dedicated to delivering a strong support system to help attract and retain Massachusetts workers,” said Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Lauren Jones. “This ranking reflects Massachusetts’ collaborative effort across government, labor, and the business community to lift up resources in support of caregivers, like working moms and beyond, as we grow a more affordable, equitable, and competitive Commonwealth for all.”

“Through funding proposals, policy priorities and IT investments, we have been focused on building the equitable, accessible and affordable child care system that our children, families, educators and communities deserve,” said Education Secretary Dr. Patrick Tutwiler. “Today’s ranking is another example of why Massachusetts is the best place to go to school, raise a family, and work.”

"In talking with providers and parents across the early education and care system, and being a working mom myself, I know firsthand how vital access to reliable, high-quality child care is to supporting whole families and enabling working women in particular to advance their economic mobility," said Amy Kershaw, Commissioner of Early Education and Care. "This ranking recognizes the impact of the Healey-Driscoll Administration's intentional efforts and investments to expand and improve access to high-quality care to make Massachusetts a great place to live, work and raise a family."

Massachusetts’ early education and child care accomplishments under the Healey-Driscoll Administration to-date:

• Massachusetts is the only state in the nation to continue funding federal COVID era child care stabilization grants (known in Massachusetts as the Commonwealth Cares for Children or C3 program) at the same level as the federal government. 
  
  
  
  • Governor Healey codified C3 into state law when she signed the state’s fiscal year 2025 budget.
  
  
  
  


• The licensed capacity of the child care system has grown and exceeds pre-pandemic levels, with the capacity to serve 45,054 more children compared to the pandemic low in the Spring of 2021. The number of licensed programs has increased by 24%, with 1,666 more programs compared to the pandemic low.
  
  
  
  • Over the last two years, the state has added 17,423 center-based and family child care seats for children.
  
  
  
  


• Early childhood educator compensation increased almost 20% in the last two and a half years, exceeding average inflation over that same time period. The percentage of vacant positions across the system has also decreased from 11% to 9% compared to 2023.


• The number of children receiving child care financial assistance has increased by approximately 10,000 since January 2023.


• Child care financial assistance rates for providers have increased by almost $90 million under the administration. Also, in 2024, Massachusetts became the sixth state in the country federally approved to move forward with a cost-based alternative methodology when setting rates, which has enabled the state to bring all rates closer to the true cost of providing care while addressing long-standing inequities by geographic region and age group of children served. 


• Governor Healey established the Interagency Early Education and Child Care Task Force to create a whole-of-government approach to affordable high-quality child care. The Task Force released their year one reportrecently that outlines 30 actionable efforts across all cabinet secretariats to advance affordable and accessible care.


• The administration established the first dedicated family child care capital program.


• Governor Healey established Literacy Launch: Reading Success from Age 3 through Grade 3 to provide Massachusetts preschool programs, schools, educators and students with access to high-quality, evidence-based reading instruction through literacy materials, technical support, coaching and professional development for educators.


• The administration increased EEC’s Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Services grants from $3.5 million a year to $5 million to promote the developmental, social-emotional, and behavioral well-being of infants and young children. Also, the administration secured $5 million in the fiscal year 2025 budget to develop a Mental Health Framework from birth to college.


• The administration's FY24 - FY28 Capital Investment Plan increased the Early Education and Out-of-School Time capital grants by $4 million a year for 4 years to $10 million a year.


• The administration awarded more than $1.5 million in fiscal year 2024 for registered apprenticeship programs focused on developing the early education and care workforce. To support these efforts, EEC awarded an additional $1.4 million to support existing early childhood apprenticeship programs and fund regional intermediaries for center-based and family child care programs.