Photo: Alyssa Haywoode for Strategies for Children

On Wednesday, April 10, 2019, the House Committee on Ways and Means released a $42.7 billion state budget for fiscal year 2020. In his letter to members, Chairman Aaron Michlewitz (D-Boston) highlighted investments in early education.

“Under the leadership of Speaker Robert A. DeLeo, Massachusetts has prioritized the field of early education and care, investing in both access and quality,” Michlewitz wrote. “This budget continues these historic investments, including another $20 million rate reserve for early educators, which will help to raise salaries allowing education providers to recruit and retain high quality staff. This funding ensures Massachusetts’s youngest residents will receive the best possible care from experienced teachers during their most formative years.”

Under the House’s proposed budget, funding for early education and care would continue to increase. Budget highlights include: the $20 million rate reserve for early educators (3000-1042), a $900,000 increase to Head Start (3000-5000), and $1 million for a Neighborhood Villages pilot (3000-7055), which would “provide high-quality, economically integrated, infant and toddler classrooms that demonstrate best practices for supporting children, families and the early childhood workforce…”

The Commonwealth Preschool Partnership Initiative (3000-6025) was not included in the committee’s proposal, putting current preschool grantees at risk of program closures next year. 

UPDATE: Rep. Jay Livingstone (D-Boston) has filed Amendment #71 to fund pre-K grants at $15 million. Contact your state representative today to support this amendment.

Legislators have until Friday to file amendments to the House budget, and budget debate will begin the week of April 22. 

A complete list of early education line items is posted on Strategies for Children’s website.

We’ve also posted a FY09-FY19 funding trends chart for the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care.

For more information contact Titus DosRemedios at tdosremedios@strategiesforchildren.org or (617) 330-7387.