Massachusetts senators are scheduled to consider an early education and care bill next week, with Democratic leaders hoping to improve affordability in the field and ensure that the state's youngest population has access to a “high-quality” education. He said that it would be possible to do so.
Senate President Karen Spilka on Thursday made the grant program for early education and care providers permanent, expanded eligibility for the grant program, and created career ladders, provided scholarships and provided loan forgiveness to help teachers. He submitted a bill to increase compensation.
Information released by Spilka's office did not include an estimate of how much the effort would cost.
Spilka said the bill, scheduled for a vote on March 14, would “provide quality educational opportunities for children from birth to adulthood and make Massachusetts affordable and equal for its residents.” “This will help us meet our obligations to make our products more competitive and competitive for employers.” ”
“This legislation is a major step in our efforts to meet that obligation. Invest in our educators, provide much-needed financial support to parents, and adequately compensate educators. “By doing so, we have the opportunity to get parents back to work and give our children a lifetime of opportunities and benefits,” she said in a statement.
The proposal would strengthen the federal child care grant program, which funds more than 90 percent of Massachusetts' early education and child care programs. Spilka's office said provisions were also added to direct more funding to programs that serve children receiving child care subsidies and “high-needs” children.
Spilka wants to expand eligibility for child care subsidies to families earning up to 85% of the state's median income ($124,000 for a family of four). The career ladder created under the bill would establish “recommended salary and benefit guidelines for public school teachers,” according to the bill's summary.
The bill's competitive matching program would “stimulate employer investment” in establishing new early education and care slots across the state, the summary said.
The proposal would also improve early education and care workforce recruitment and professional development by requiring the Department of Higher Education to “permanently administer existing scholarship and loan forgiveness programs,” according to the bill summary. This clarifies the support for the provision.
Sen. Jason Lewis, co-chair of the Assembly Education Committee, said promoting access to early education is essential “to the healthy development of young children.”
“Massachusetts has consistently been a national leader in education, and now is the time to continue this investment by increasing access to early education and child care for all residents,” Lewis said in a statement.
