Yesterday, the Massachusetts Senate Ways and Means Committee released its $33.9 billion budget proposal for fiscal year 2014. This proposal represents a $1.4 billion increase over FY13 spending levels, while $67.5 million less than the FY14 budget passed by the House and $904 million less than the governor’s budget proposal.

The Senate committee’s proposal includes $490 million for the Department of Early Education and Care, roughly $13 million more than the House’s budget. The committee provides $15 million for a new line item dedicated to addressing the waitlist for income-eligible early education and care. The Senate proposal however also makes cuts to Universal Pre-k, Coordinated Family and Community Engagement grants, Reach Out and Read, and Full-Day Kindergarten grants.

Strategies for Children president Carolyn Lyons issued the following statement:

“The Senate Ways and Means budget released today provides a new line item of $15 million to decrease the waitlist for early education and care for children from income eligible families. While this new line item is a step in the right direction — providing an estimated 2,000 young children with subsidies — there are currently more than 30,000 infants, toddlers, and preschoolers seeking state aid for early education programs.

Experts agree that high-quality early education has a lifetime impact on young learners in terms of greater academic readiness and achievement, as well as improved social skills. Not enough children have these opportunities and despite the recognized importance of these investments, funding for early education and care has been slashed by more than $80 million since FY09. The Senate Ways and Means budget released today increases funding for early education by less than 1% compared to FY13 budgeted levels.

According to the 2012 MCAS results, 40% of Massachusetts third graders, including 60% of children from low income families, are not proficient readers. This rate has remained stagnant for the past decade. The vast majority of these children will continue to struggle in school and beyond. If we as a commonwealth do not make significant new investments to increase access to, and improve quality of, early education and care we will not change this trajectory.”

Amendments to the Senate Ways and Means proposal are due Friday, May 17 at 3pm, and budget debate is scheduled to begin on May 22.

Click here for a complete listing of early education and care line items in the state budget.