As a helpful resource for those interested in early education and care (EEC) policy in Massachusetts, MTF is publishing a series of EEC 101 Fact Sheets, each breaking down key parts of the early education space in the Commonwealth – from the impact...

In November 2019, An Act Relative to Educational Opportunity for Students (Chapter 132 of the Acts of 2019) was signed into law by Governor Charlie Baker. Better known as the Student Opportunity Act (SOA), the new law represented the...

The Mass Ready Act, a $3.1 billion environmental bond bill, was filed by the Healey-Driscoll administration on June 24th. The legislation proposes a new five-year capital plan and a series of policy initiatives aimed at improving climate resilience,...

Last week, MTF published a fiscal update brief reviewing Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 tax revenue collections, the current budget balance estimate, and the Healey-Driscoll administration’s closeout supplemental budget. It included MTF’s recommendation for...

State budget officials and policymakers have reached the point during the calendar year when it is necessary to balance the demands of three fiscal years at one time. The Healey administration’s closeout supplemental budget proposal for Fiscal Year ...

There are more than 46,000 educators employed at early education programs across the state of Massachusetts. Early educators across programs provide quality education, safe spaces, and socio-emotional learning tools to our state’s youngest learners...

These slides were used during a 101 briefing on early education and care programs and funding in Massachusetts on September 15th. The briefing covered frequently asked questions about Child Care Financial Assistance, childcare capacity in the state,...

The state’s UI system is still feeling the impact of significant unemployment during the pandemic, which resulted in thousands of additional individuals receiving UI benefits for an extended period. By April 2020, the state’s unemployment had...

The pandemic hugely disrupted the state’s economy and workforce, as unemployment rates jumped from 3.1 percent in February 2020, one of the lowest in state history, to 17.8 percent in April 2020, the highest in over four decades. During the pandemic,...

The same day that Governor Healey signed the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 budget, while trimming $130.2 million in spending, she filed a supplemental budget proposing several fiscal management tools to help the state address revenue volatility or unmet...