Press Release  Healey-Driscoll Administration Holding Regional Child Care Listening Sessions

Boston — The Healey-Driscoll Administration announced today a series of listening sessions across Massachusetts to inform the Early Education and Child Care Task Force’s recommendations and broader strategy to ensure accessible and affordable high-quality child care for all families. These listening sessions will take place throughout July and early August, and are part of the administration’s Early Education and Child Care Task Force established under Governor Healey's Executive Order 625 and a central component of the ‘Gateway to Pre-k’ agenda.

"Today marks an important step in our mission to ensure every child in Massachusetts has access to high-quality, affordable early education and care,” said Governor Maura Healey. “By hosting these listening sessions, we are opening a crucial dialogue with our communities to gather valuable insights and craft recommendations that reflect the needs and aspirations of our families and child care providers. We are dedicated to building a foundation where every child has the opportunity to thrive."

"As a former Mayor, I believe that listening to our communities is essential in creating effective policies,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “These statewide listening sessions will provide a platform for parents, caregivers, educators, and child care providers to share their experiences and ideas. This collaborative approach will not only inform our strategies but also strengthen our commitment to making early education and child care accessible and affordable for all families across Massachusetts."

The Task Force is hosting 12 listening sessions, including seven regional in-person sessions and five virtual sessions, of which one will be led in Spanish. These listening sessions will engage working parents and caregivers, educational and business leaders, child care providers, and the larger communities. Feedback from the sessions focuses on the Task Force's five key policy objectives, including reducing costs, increasing capacity, and improving quality of child care in Massachusetts.

“Education doesn’t start at kindergarten – it starts at birth. The Healey-Driscoll administration is committed to utilizing all tools available to ensure our youngest learners receive the highest quality education they deserve, setting them up for school and lifetime success. Engaging directly with communities through these listening sessions will enable us to better understand and address the challenges and opportunities within early education and care,” said Secretary of Education Dr. Patrick Tutwiler.

“An affordable, accessible, and equitable child care system combined with a pipeline of educators remains critical to attract, retain, and develop a strong, diverse workforce,” said Secretary Lauren Jones of Labor and Workforce Development. “The Healey-Driscoll Administration looks forward to hearing from residents and employers throughout the state as we work to build an enhanced system that can support workers today and our untapped talent for the future.”

“Access to affordable, high-quality early education and child care is essential,” said Secretary of Economic Development Yvonne Hao. “By actively engaging with the needs and challenges of families and providers, we can develop transformative policies that empower our workforce, drive economic growth, and ensure a brighter future for our children. Together, we will create an early education system that benefits every resident of Massachusetts.”

“EEC is working to put the child and family at the center of everything we do. I am looking forward to these listening sessions to hear and learn directly from parents, caregivers, local businesses, and others. These sessions will provide us with an opportunity to engage with new stakeholders and broaden our understanding of how together we can ensure high-quality affordable early education and care for all children and families in Massachusetts,” said Early Education and Care Commissioner Amy Kershaw.

Community members can register to attend these sessions or provide their input at Mass.gov/ChildCareTaskForce.

Schedule of Listening Sessions:

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