Gov. Maura Healey says the plan is to create low or no-cost pre-K options for children in gateway cities across the commonwealth.
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Gov. Maura Healey announced on Tuesday that she's planning to make early education and child care more affordable for families in 26 Massachusetts communities.
While in Malden, Healey said she’s focusing on universal pre-K with her "Gateway to Pre-K" agenda, which will give high-quality preschool access to 4-year-olds in all "gateway cities" by the end of 2026.
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Every family of a 4-year-old will be able to enroll their child in a preschool program — at a low or no cost — to get them ready for kindergarten, Healey said.
Some of those cities include Brockton, Fall River, Haverhill, Holyoke, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn, Malden, New Bedford, Salem, Springfield and Westfield. 14 other cities will be added over the next two years, the Healey administration said.
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The state will also increase Child Fare Financial Assistance eligibility from 50% of state median income to 85%, the governor said. This increase will help an extra 4,000 low-and moderate-income families afford care.
The Bay State will also continue the Commonwealth Cares for Children grants in fiscal year 2025, she said. This funding will help improve quality, pay facility costs and hire more staff.
Healey said she signed an executive order to "recognize the essential role child care plays in driving the state's economy and competitiveness forward."
"Far too many parents are being held back from returning to the workforce because of the daunting cost of child care, and providers are facing the difficult decision between continuing in the profession they love or leaving for a higher-paid career," said Healey.
The Healey administration's proposal will help "relieve those pressures by expanding high-quality pre-K access, delivering more financial assistance to thousands more families, and sustaining our historic investments in C3 grants to providers," the governor said.
Healey said she will highlight these programs in her State of the Commonwealth address on Wednesday and propose the funding in her FY 25 budget next week.
