BOSTON — The Healey-Driscoll Administration has announced improvements to Child Care Financial Assistance?programs in Massachusetts.

 

Updated regulations and policies will simplify the application process for parents, reduce paperwork for families and early education programs, and better support homeless families, families with disabilities and families facing domestic violence who take advantage of this program. With these changes, the Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) is making it easier for young, working, low-income families to access the subsidies available for child care and "out of school time" education programs. 

 

"One of the top priorities of our administration is making child care more affordable and accessible. These regulation and policy changes will help break down barriers for our low-income families and early education programs, making government services more user friendly and equitable," said Governor Maura Healey. "We're proud to take this important step forward that we know will lead to increased labor market participation and economic mobility for families, and support children's school and life success." 

 

EEC has been working over the past year and a half with key stakeholders to make these significant child care financial assistance regulation changes. From the outset, EEC took on these regulation changes with the goals of centering the family voice and restructuring the agency's operations, policies, and procedures to modernize and improve the experience for parents and providers.  

 

Some of the key regulation and policy changes include: 

 

Improving and simplifying communication with families, such as launching email and texting campaigns to reach them directly and support them throughout the process of accessing child care financial assistance; 

 

Reducing and eliminating unnecessary and duplicative paperwork and reporting requirements that create an undue burden for parents; 

 

Updating the provider employment definitions and requirements to reflect the changing nature of work, including more flexibility for hourly wage earners and those working from home; 

 

Waiving fees for homeless families and easing reporting requirements for individuals with disabilities or those participating in treatment for substance abuse; 

 

Better aligning with partner agencies like the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) and Department of Children and Families (DCF) to streamline processes and reduce administrative burdens for families; 

 

Incorporating more inclusive language that supports the dignity of receiving child care financial assistance, and is inclusive of LGBTQ+ families and families with disabilities; and 

 

Shifting policies to be more accessible, meaning they are written in plain language and will eventually be available in up to 14 languages.  

 

The state's Child Care Financial Assistance programs are funded federally through the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) and by the state level through multiple EEC line items. This year, the Healey-Driscoll administration and the legislature delivered $778 million towards child care financial assistance, an increase of $60 million over FY23. Currently, 58,000 children and their families access child care with the support of state financial assistance. Nearly 4,500 early education and child care centers partner with the Commonwealth to provide care to low-income or subsidized students, which is 56 percent of the licensed early education and care programs in the state.  

 

EEC has launched new family facing website pages to promote access to and understanding of child care financial assistance. Learn more about the programs at Mass.gov/CCFA.