In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic triggered a crisis within the early education and care sector in Massachusetts. A shock to demand, coupled with new concerns and requirements for keeping children safe in classroom settings, forced a full rethinking of how we support the sector and its importance to our local communities.
To help stabilize providers and preserve affordable access and care for families, millions of dollars in federal relief funding flowed into Massachusetts. In the years since, the Massachusetts state government has maintained this heightened level of investment, resulting in significant progress in improving access to education and care as well as its affordability and quality. Seat capacity, access to child care subsidies, and early educator compensation are all on the rise. Now, to further this progress and leverage the current moment as a springboard toward a robust financial future, the sector is faced with a critical question.
How can the Massachusetts early education and care sector capitalize on its newfound level of investment to build a nation-leading, coordinated funding model?
In this thorough analysis, we pull together a comprehensive list of funding sources supporting early education and care and make recommendations for improving coordination and prompting collective action to optimize the use of current funds and lay the groundwork for future investments in the sector.