Press Release: 6/12/2025
Board of Early Education and Care Vote Improves Access to Child Care Financial Assistance
Regulations achieve Governor Healey’s key Gateway to Pre-K priority to increase child care financial assistance income eligibility
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
6/11/2025
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Kim N. Le, Director of Communications
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Call Kim N. Le, Director of Communications at 617-823-4874
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Email Kim N. Le, Director of Communications at Kim.Le@mass.gov
NEEDHAM — The Board of Early Education and Care voted unanimously today to improve access to Child Care Financial Assistance, reinforcing Massachusetts’ commitment to expanding affordable, high-quality early education and care for families across the state. These regulation changes codify the state’s Fiscal Year 2025 budget changes to the program and achieve a key priority of the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s Gateway to Pre-K agenda – raising income eligibility for child care financial assistance from 50% of state median income to 85% of state median income.
“We launched our ‘Gateway to Pre-K' agenda to make child care more affordable and accessible in communities across Massachusetts. By increasing Child Care Financial Assistance eligibility, we are helping families afford care,” said Governor Maura Healey. “I’m grateful to the Legislature and the Board of Early Education and Care for their partnership. Together, Massachusetts is working to lower costs for families and ensure our hardworking providers have the support they need to deliver high-quality care.”
“Two years ago, we made significant improvements to our Child Care Financial Assistance programs that helped us to serve more kids than ever. These new regulations build on that progress, so that regardless of zip code or economic background, our youngest learners can access the high-quality education they need to succeed in school and beyond, while also supporting our local economy and communities,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll.
Today’s approved Child Care Financial Assistance regulations include several key improvements:
- Expanded eligibility: Families with household incomes at or below 85% of the state median income will now be eligible to receive child care financial assistance, significantly broadening access for working families.
- Priority access for early childhood educators: The regulations formally codify priority access to financial assistance for staff working in early education and care programs, recognizing the critical role educators play in not only the Commonwealth’s child care system but the broader economy.
- Protection of benefits: Child Care Financial Assistance will not be counted as income in determining eligibility for other state governmental assistance programs, helping ensure families are not unintentionally disqualified from essential support services.
“We have been working to build the child care financial assistance programs that our children, families, and educators deserve. Today’s vote is another important step forward in that work, highlighting our commitment to affordable care for working families and supporting educator’s economic mobility,” said Secretary of Education Dr. Patrick Tutwiler.
“The Healey-Driscoll Administration is committed to increasing affordability and accessibility and our Child Care Financial Assistance programs are one of the most important tools we have in that work,” said Early Education and Care Commissioner Amy Kershaw. “These changes are another step in ensuring these programs are able to reach families who need assistance and that they’re engaging with a modern, dignified system.”
The Healey-Driscoll Administration has been taking an end-to-end approach to modernize and streamline the state’s Child Care Financial Assistance system, making it more accessible, multilingual, and reflective of the needs of children and families. This includes significant regulatory reforms the Board approved and administration implemented in October 2023, as well as for the first time in 15 years re-procuring contracts with child care financial assistance providers to prioritize infant and toddler seats and families with the most needs. Governor Healey’s FutureTech Act also included funding for Child Care Financial Assistance modernization to build a more modern, mobile-friendly, accessible, multilingual, and dignified child care financial assistance technology system.
“Today’s vote reflects our deep commitment to ensuring every child in Massachusetts has the opportunity to thrive, regardless of their family’s income or circumstances. By expanding eligibility and strengthening access to financial assistance, we are helping more families afford the high-quality early education and care they need and deserve. This is about equity, dignity, and investing in the future of our communities,” saidPaul Belsito, Chair of the Board of Early Education and Care.
“These updates represent a meaningful step toward creating a more equitable, accessible, and family-centered child care system,” said Maria Gonzalez Moeller, CEO of The Community Group and Vice-Chair of the Board of Early Education and Care. “By streamlining processes, enhancing transparency, and expanding eligibility, we are not only supporting working families, but also strengthening the foundation for every child’s early learning and development across the Commonwealth.”
The Board voted to send proposed changes out for public comment at their February Board meeting this year. Today’s final regulations incorporate feedback received from partners and stakeholders and will take effect on January 1, 2026. Learn more about EEC’s Child Care Financial Assistance programs at mass.gov/CCFA.
“I’m pleased the Board of the Department of Early Education and Care voted to update and strengthen regulations regarding childcare financial assistance. In these difficult and uncertain financial times, it’s critical to keep our social service safety net intact to scaffold families with young children. These early education and childcare programs provide much needed assistance to families experiencing homelessness and facing domestic violence, and these new regulations will allow families to continue to access other governmental assistance benefits,” said Senator Michael J. Rodrigues (D-Westport), Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means.
“The updated Child Care Financial Assistance regulations approved today by the Board are a meaningful step forward in expanding access to affordable childcare in the Commonwealth,” said Representative Gordon (D-Bedford), House Chair of the Joint Committee on Education.
Statements of Support
Strategies for Children Executive Director Amy O’Leary:
“Finalizing these regulations is an important milestone for Massachusetts families and early educators. Expanding eligibility to 85% of the State Median Income will open doors for more working families to access affordable child care. Continuing to prioritize financial assistance for early educators is a smart and necessary strategy to recruit and retain the workforce we need—because we can’t expand access for families without the educators who make that care possible. With these updates now in place, we can turn our collective focus to implementation—making sure these policies translate into real, lasting impact and sustainable investments for children, families, and the workforce.”
Neighborhood Villages Co-President Lauren Kennedy:
“We applaud the Healey-Driscoll Administration and the Board of Early Education and Care for expanding the Child Care Financial Assistance (CCFA) program. At a time when federal investments in early learning programs are uncertain, Massachusetts is stepping up to support working families, early educators, and our youngest learners. Raising income eligibility, prioritizing early educators' access to Child Care Financial Assistance, and protecting families’ ability to receive other essential benefits are all critical steps toward building a more equitable, accessible early education system. This is a win for families, a win for our economy, and most importantly, a win for our children.”
Massachusetts Business Roundtable President & CEO JD Chesloff:
“Employers are always looking to find talent to fill open jobs. Yet far too often, people with both the desire and skills to work can’t because of the cost of high quality child care. The vote by the Board of Early Education and Care removes that barrier for a significant group of working families while ensuring their children have access to high quality care. Child care is a fundamental and essential component of the state’s economic development and workforce development strategies and the Roundtable applauds this important action and the leadership of Commissioner Kershaw and the EEC Board.”
Massachusetts Head Start Association Executive Director Michelle Haimowitz:
“Today, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has made it easier for vulnerable families to access benefits their families need to thrive and support our critical early education workforce to remain in the field they love. The Massachusetts Head Start Association commends the Healey-Driscoll Administration, Commissioner Kershaw, and the Board of Early Education and Care for codifying these changes that support families, early educators, and our early education system in Massachusetts.”
MA Business Coalition for Early Childhood Education Executive Director and Fellow for Early Childhood Development at Eastern Bank Foundation Tom Weber:
“High-quality and accessible early childhood education services are essential to healthy child growth and development, family economic opportunity and mobility, and a competitive Massachusetts economy. Today’s actions by the Board continue to expand access to life-changing child care services, enhance child care program quality, and build a stronger workforce to power all Massachusetts communities and our economy.”
SEIU Local 509 President Dave Foley:
“Expanded access for families and priority access for providers will directly benefit working families, helping ensure that more parents have access to quality child care while ensuring that the dedicated professionals who provide it can also access the care they need to continue their work. We are proud of the work our union members have done to advocate for this, and we look forward to working with the administration to ensure there is additional funding to end the freeze on Child Care Financial Assistance.”
Common Start Coalition Director and Coalition for Social Justice Executive Strategist Deb Pimental:
"The Common Start Coalition thanks Governor Healey and the Board of Early Education and Care for their work to implement this much-needed expansion of eligibility for families and early educators seeking affordable care. And we appreciate the thought that went into protecting vulnerable families by ensuring that those receiving child care financial assistance are not unintentionally disqualified from other essential support programs. These regulations bring Massachusetts one step closer to achieving our Common Start vision of affordable child care for all families; high-quality programs and services for all children; significantly better pay and benefits for early educators; a permanent, stable source of funding for providers; and substantial relief for businesses and our entire economy."
Massachusetts Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs Executive Director Jennifer Aldworth:
“The Massachusetts Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs was pleased to see the Board of Early Education and Care’s vote to expand Governor Healey’s Child Care Financial Assistance, raising eligibility from 50% of the state median income to 85%. In addition, this vote serves to protect benefits for families and provide priority access for early childhood educators. Organizations like Boys & Girls Clubs serve some of the most economically disadvantaged children in the state and we are happy to see the expanded eligibility for families throughout the Commonwealth.”
Alliance of Massachusetts YMCAs CEO Kate-Marie Roycroft:
"The Alliance of Massachusetts YMCAs is pleased to see these vital and necessary changes take effect. Expanding access to child care for more families strengthens our communities and reaffirms the Commonwealth’s commitment to being a place where all families can grow and thrive.”