“For the first time since April 2024, the Department of Early Education and Care will open access to child care financial assistance for income-eligible families.

“A new funding injection will open about 2,100 seats, chipping away at the waitlist of roughly 32,000 children as of July.

“The aid expansion is funded with $31.2 million from the 4 percent surtax on residents who make over $1 million annually. It will be used to expand vouchers and contracted seats for income-eligible children, as well as dedicate funding for early education care and staff, Deputy Commissioner of Family Access and Engagement Tyreese Nicolas said at an Advisory Council on Early Education and Care meeting Thursday.

For more details on the expansion of the Child Care Financial Assistance (CCFA)
Income Eligible program, watch EEC’s September 9 Board meeting.

“ ‘That’s a really important milestone for EEC, and more importantly, for children and families who have been waiting to access child care financial assistance,’ ” Nicolas said.

“ ‘Unlike many other public benefit safety programs, income-eligible child care financial assistance is tied to available funding,’ Nicolas said. ‘So when a family is eligible, access isn’t always immediate, and families may have to wait for assistance.’

“Since that assistance has been on pause for two and a half years, a waitlist has hovered around 30,000 children, reaching just under 32,000 in July.

“ ‘This investment will not allow us to reach every family that is waiting today, but it allows us to reopen the door again,’ Nicolas said.”

— “State reopens door to child care assistance for low-income families,” by Sam Drysdale, State House News Service story in The Boston Globe, September 3, 2026