Yesterday, Governor Healey released her $56.1 billion budget proposal for fiscal year 2025. This budget represents a 2.9% increase over the current fiscal year 2024 budget.

Early education and care line items receive a combined $56 million, a (4%) increase, in the Governor’s proposal.

Highlights include:

• $475 million for C3 Grants (line items 3000-1045 and 1596-2410)

• $75 million for a new child care affordability line item (1596-2435), and

• an $18 million increase for the Commonwealth Preschool Partnership Initiative (CPPI, line items 3000-6025 and 1596-2412)

 These items were highlighted in Governor Healey’s “Gateway to Pre-K Agenda,” which was announced last week.

“Healey would increase spending by about $2 billion over the current fiscal year budget, or about 3.7 percent— below growth in past years, which Healey said is evidence of officials ‘tightening our belts’ after a period of soaring revenues during the pandemic,” The Boston Globe reports.

 The budget also “preserves many programs already underway, like free breakfast and lunch for students,” Western Mass News adds.

GBH says, “Amid a forecast for little to no tax revenue growth, Healey’s team balanced their plan by trimming $450 million from various line items, proposing to prevent about half a billion dollars in other spending growth, and deploying $1.25 billion other available state resources.”

For more information, contact Strategies for Children’s Deputy Director Titus DosRemedios. And be sure to check out our budget webpage for future updates and advocacy opportunities.