Child care providers in Massachusetts received some financial relief, thanks to an increase in this year's state budget. But people who work in the industry say they need a more permanent investment to prevent more centers from shutting down.
The additional money will extend a grant program for early educators through at least the first half of 2023. Thewere put in place in July 2021, in an effort to shore up an industry hit hard by staffing and other challenges brought on during — and exacerbated by — the COVID-19 pandemic. Child care advocates cheered the extension of the grant program but said it will not eliminate persistent, longer-term problems such as high costs for families and"This is a down payment," said Lauren Kennedy, co-president and co-founder of the nonprofit Neighborhood Villages."We're very excited at the legislature's commitment, but certainly, there remains more work to be done over the long-term.
It would be cool if I didn’t have to take out a second mortgage for childcare, So. I. Can. Work.