Free Childcare for All
Childcare is an essential economic infrastructure and increases workforce participation and economic productivity.
Healey’s $31.2M is being framed as “affordable childcare,” but covers only about 2,000 children on the income-eligible waitlist. That means it’s not universal
Childcare costs in Massachusetts are among the highest in the nation, with center-based infant care often exceeding $20,000 annually. I’ve been a single mom, and I know firsthand the challenges families face and how childcare not only helped me make ends meet when I was a young mother but also helped me get a college education and expand opportunities for my family.
Today, families are still struggling to afford childcare, and more than 31,000 families have applied for assistance and are waitlisted for years. The current administration recently announced adding an additional $31.2 million to make childcare more affordable and accessible; however, that is a drop in the bucket, albeit it will come as an immense relief for one of the approximately 2,000 families who may be deemed eligible. That still leaves approximately 28,000 families in need, and too many out of the workforce and out of educational opportunities due to unaffordable childcare. And that’s just the families who have applied.
So yes, $31.2M helps some families, but it does not come close to solving the crisis. Massachusetts has around 350,000 children under 5, and childcare averages more than $26,000 a year.
As Governor, I will expand publicly funded childcare centers, grow the childcare workforce, and raise wages for childcare workers. We should provide dedicated state-level tax credits to employers that offer childcare benefits.
Funding Strategy
Childcare investment increases workforce participation and economic growth. Every family has different childcare needs, and they should be able to choose what is right for them. As one of the wealthiest states in the country, Massachusetts must grow its
childcare workforce and should provide quality childcare for free to our families. The more parents who join or rejoin the workforce, the more that goes back into our economy.