Press Release  Healey-Driscoll Administration Awards $8.5 Million for Early Education and Child Care Program Capital Renovations

BOSTON — The Healey-Driscoll Administration announced today that 20 organizations across Massachusetts are being awarded $8.5 million in capital funding to renovate early education and out-of-school time program facilities that serve primarily low-income families. At East Boston Social Center, Education Secretary Tutwiler, Early Education and Care Commissioner Kershaw and Director of Outdoor Recreation Jahnige highlighted how this investment will support renovation projects to expand capacity and improve the indoor and outdoor quality and accessibility of learning environments for children, ensuring they have safe, healthy, inclusive, and developmentally appropriate spaces to learn, play, and grow.

“Making early education and care more affordable and accessible is a top priority for our administration. Capital investments are an important part of that. These capital grants give our hardworking child care programs the financial resources they need to provide modern, healthy, and safe environments for our kids to learn and play. This funding also helps us make progress on our climate goals, which is essential for ensuring our kids have secure futures,” said Governor Maura Healey.

“I am excited to see how this $8.5 million investment in capital projects for our local early education and child care programs will foster the kind of physical indoor and outdoor spaces our children deserve to learn and play in every day,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “These funds improve programs’ energy efficiency, ventilation and water conservation, accessibility for families and educators, add new security measures, update outdoor play areas, and so much more.”

As part of the Administration's whole-of-government approach to addressing climate change, and in collaboration with the Climate Office, projects were prioritized that focused on clean energy and decarbonization. Projects that included security enhancements to prevent and respond to potential threats, such as active shooters and installation of security cameras and access control systems, were also prioritized. Examples of eligible funding use includes modifications to improve indoor air quality, roof replacements, upgrading electrical or security systems, and physical environment modifications addressing accessibility or other upgrades for classrooms, outdoor areas, and more.

“We are proud to be awarding $8.5 million in capital funding to 20 child care programs across the state, promoting accessible, safe, and inclusive spaces for children of all backgrounds and abilities to grow, learn, and play,” said Secretary of Education Dr. Patrick Tutwiler. “It was great to be at East Boston Social Center today to learn how this grant will support their accessibility project to improve movement in and out of the center, especially for children and adults with limited mobility.”

“Today’s announced grant awards are infusing funds into our local communities, like here in East Boston, to renovate, repair, and expand child care facilities, enabling our kids and educators to spend time in newer, greener and more accessible and safe high-quality learning environments. Capital investments like these are making Massachusetts a better place to live, go to school, work, raise a family, and build a better future,” said Early Education and Care Commissioner Amy Kershaw.

“Outdoor play and resilient facilities are fundamental for healthy childhood learning and development, but the impacts of climate change may threaten these essential features of early education,” said Director of Outdoor Recreation, Paul Jahnige. “These grant support resilient outdoor play spaces and low-carbon, resilient facilities. Improving the quality and accessibility our learning environments ensures that our youngest residents have healthy and safe spaces to play and grow.”

The capital opportunities are administered by the Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) in partnership with the Children’s Investment Fund (CIF), an affiliate of the Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation (CEDAC). This funding is available through the administration's FY24 - FY28 Capital Investment Plan Early Education and Out-of-School Time (EEOST) fund and from the Early Education & Care Provider Capital funding delivered in the fiscal year 2024 state budget. For the first time, for-profit child care centers and out-of-school time programs that serve at least 50% of children who receive public benefits were eligible.

“We are absolutely thrilled to celebrate the immense, transformative impact of these grants. Massachusetts remains at the forefront of state investment in early education and care facilities, and this year is no exception, with 20 projects awarded funding," said Theresa Jordan, Director of the Children’s Investment Fund.

"With this EEOST small project grant, East Boston Social Centers will make essential repairs and updates to our elevator, which was first installed in the 1990s. This will ensure disability or mobility challenges will never be a barrier to our Early Learners and Bright Minds School Age children accessing our high-quality programming that supports their joy, learning, and thriving.  By supporting investments to update and improve aging buildings and spaces, these grants ensure children learn in high-quality spaces, and ensure programs can invest our resources in the compensation our educators deserve and the programming materials our children need," said Justin Pasquariello, Executive Director of East Boston Social Center.

Programs are eligible to receive $200,000 - $500,000 in funding per project. Awardees include:

Angela's Preschool and Daycare (Peabody) - $500,000
Funding supports improvements to the security system, replacement of windows and Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) upgrades, as well as kitchen ventilation and upgraded bathroom fixtures.

Boys & Girls Club of Greater Holyoke - $421,000
Funding supports security upgrades including installation of keyless entry system, new fence and parking lot gate system, as well as installation of metal rolling shutters on room windows and main hallway.

Bright Futures Early Learning Center (Springfield) - $500,000
Funding will add a handwashing sink in 1 classroom, add bathrooms for 3 classrooms, create a lightwell in a classroom that has no access to natural light, build an enclosure at the entrance for kids waiting for transportation, build a shed for playground equipment, and purchase lockdown emergency kits.

Child Care of the Berkshires (North Adams) - $483,000
Funding supports new fencing, landscaping and play structure installation, as well as replace windows, flooring in two classrooms, the roof system and the steam boiler, adding a dual fuel burner and installing an air conditioning condenser. 

Children's Express Child Care (Dorchester) - $500,000
Funding supports purchasing and installing a new all-electric hot water system and piping, a new fire and water tie-in to the street, and a temporary chiller and boiler during their larger HVAC system transformation.

East Boston Social Centers - $246,000
Funding supports updating the elevator controller, wiring, traveling cable, two door operators, four floors of door equipment, and electrical upgrades, as well as procuring evacuation chairs to aid individuals with limited mobility in exiting the building during emergencies. 

Greater Holyoke YMCA - $500,000
Funding supports purchasing indoor and exterior security cameras, as well as create egress from the preschool classrooms and a new entrance and exit for the after school classrooms and program spaces.

Guild of St. Agnes (Webster) - $500,000
Funding supports replacing the HVAC system, installing a new fire alarm and adding a new video surveillance system. 

Kid-Start (Lawrence) - $500,000
Funding supports a new HVAC system with energy-efficient rooftop unit, replacing windows, and new exterior doors, intercom, alarm system, playground surfacing, climbing structures, and fence. 

L.P. College (Dartmouth Street, New Bedford) - $370,000; L.P. College (Acushnet Ave, New Bedford) - $500,000
For both projects: funding supports replacing the HVAC systems, doors, and roofs, installing new security systems and adding new play structures and musical elements, as well as new rubber surfacing. 

Pathways for Children (Beverly) - $246,000
Funding supports redesigning the playground to maximize natural play, accessibility, inclusiveness, cooperative engagement as well as learning and discovery.  

Rainbow Child Development Center (Worcester) - $500,000
Funding supports replacing windows and the building’s front door and sidelights.  

South Boston Neighborhood House - $236,000
Funding supports full replacement of the building siding, updating the bathrooms and flooring, and replacing the carpeting.

South Shore Stars (Quincy) - $500,000
Funding supports installing security, access control and intercom systems and replacing all entry doors with security doors and two HVAC rooftop units, as well as the existing roof system.

The Community Group (Lawrence) - $272,000
Funding supports updated play structure and rubber surfacing, installation of shed for storage of playground equipment, repaving the parking lot, installation of interior and exterior security cameras and an intercom system, as well as replace an exterior door and install interior dual-locking doorknobs.

The Learning Tree Daycare and Preschool (Medway) - $500,000
Funding supports new woodchips and artificial turf, playground equipment including play structures, water tables, sand tables, and benches, new fencing, and new planting to incorporate natural features.      

Woburn Council of Social Concern - $500,000 
Funding supports replacing two play structures, doors, windows and installation of new kitchenettes, as well as updating bathrooms to include new wall tile, toilets, faucets, touchless soap dispensers and hand dryers and install new, sustainable floors in classrooms, hallway, and gym. 

YMCA of Central Massachusetts (Southbridge) - $495,000
Funding supports installation of accessible play structures, new tables and a shade canopy, removing diseased trees and replacing a fence. 

YMCA of Greater Boston - $251,000
Funding supports replacement of exterior doors and installation of video access control systems on the front door, directly connecting to six early education classrooms.

###