In 2023, MTF released a report which made several recommendations on reforms that should be made to the Child Care Financial Assistance (CCFA) system to ensure greater system efficiency, family engagement, outcomes for children, and support for providers. CCFA is an integral and complex part of the Commonwealth’s multi-pronged early education and care system, serving over 65,000 children across the state.

MTF’s latest chartbook, The Importance of Commonwealth Cares for Children, provides a comprehensive overview of this critical new childcare program, including:

On March 7th, Senate Bill 2697, An Act ensuring affordability, readiness and learning for our youth and driving economic development was released from the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. Senators have until Monday, March 11th to review the legislation and file amendments, debate will be on Thursday, March 14th.

The Healey-Driscoll administration released its Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 budget proposal on January 24, 2024. The Governor’s budget proposes $58.13 billion in total on-budget spending including $1.3 billion in spending supported by income surtax revenues directed to education and transportation programs. The proposal increases funding over the FY 2024 General Appropriations Act (GAA) by $2.1 billion (3.7 percent), when including surtax revenue allocations.

As states across the country, including Massachusetts, are facing workforce shortages, employers are struggling to hire the talent they need to succeed and remain competitive in the marketplace. While there are many reasons behind the shortages, a lack of affordable and accessible child care is a well-documented contributor. Parents are finding it increasingly difficult to remain in or re-enter the workforce as child care costs reach new highs and supply continues to lag behind demand. These child care challenges overwhelmingly impact mothers.

In the last two years, MTF has deepened its engagement in child care policy due to the essential role it plays in creating economic opportunity across the state. Without it, parents cannot enter and remain in the workforce and employers cannot attract the talent they need to sustain and grow their businesses. However, our current child care system is unaffordable and inaccessible for many families, constraining the state’s economic growth.