- Department of Early Education and Care
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Kim N. Le, Director of Communications
Bost — The Healey-Driscoll Administration today announced the launch of the Family Child Care (FCC) Capacity Pilot Program, an initiative through the Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) designed to evaluate the feasibility of increasing licensed enrollment in Family Child Care homes from 10 to 12 children while maintaining high standards for quality, safety, and regulatory compliance.
“Making child care more available and affordable is essential to helping families succeed and strengthening our economy,” said Governor Maura Healey. “This pilot will help us understand how we can expand access to care while continuing to prioritize quality, safety and strong learning environments for children.”
“When families can find the child care they need, parents can work, businesses can grow and communities can thrive,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “We're excited to work with providers across Massachusetts through this pilot and gather the data needed to inform future child care policies and support working families.”
Under current EEC regulations, FCC providers are licensed to care for up to 10 children. Through the pilot program, a small group of participating providers will receive permission to serve up to 12 children. EEC will collect operational data, educator and family feedback, and licensing monitoring outcomes throughout the pilot to inform future decisions related to FCC capacity, staffing ratios, groupings, and licensing structures.
“We are excited to launch this pilot that will help expand access to care for families, strengthen our family child care small businesses and support our hardworking educators. This is an investment in our children, our workforce and our future,” said Secretary of Education Steve Zrike.
“Family Child Care educators play an essential role in supporting children and families across the Commonwealth,” said Early Education and Care Commissioner Amy Kershaw. “This pilot will allow EEC to thoughtfully evaluate whether expanded capacity can work effectively for providers, children, and families while maintaining the strong quality standards Massachusetts families expect.”
The pilot builds on changes included in the Fiscal Year 2025 state budget that removed language in Massachusetts General Laws establishing a statutory cap of 10 children for Family Child Care programs. Prior to this change, FCC providers were the only provider type whose group size limits were established in state law. The updated law now allows EEC’s licensing regulations to define FCC group sizes and provides the agency with flexibility to consider capacity and staffing models as part of its ongoing regulatory review process.
“I am excited to see the launch of this initiative, which builds on legislation I have filed and advocated for over the years,” said Representative Ken Gordon, House Chair of the Joint Committee on Education. “Expanding family child care capacity creates an important opportunity to support both child care providers across the state and the families who rely on affordable, accessible care in order to return to work or school.”
EEC has identified approximately 1,379 eligible Family Child Care (FCC) providers who will be invited to apply for participation in the pilot program. To be eligible, providers must:
- Hold a license in good standing, with no pending enforcement actions, sanctions, or serious licensing violations;
- Be currently licensed and serving 10 children; and
- Have operated continuously with a licensed capacity of 10 children for at least three full years.
EEC anticipates selecting approximately 25 to 30 programs statewide for participation, with representation from each region and a variety of program types.
"SEIU Local 509 celebrates this program to provide even more families with the personalized, attentive child care that helps our communities thrive,” said Celina Reyes, President of the Family Child Care Chapter at SEIU Local 509. “As family child care educators in Massachusetts, we welcome the opportunity to expand our offerings. Family child care is critical infrastructure for our state, and we welcome greater access.”
“The pilot program presents family child care educators with a unique opportunity to sustainably expand their home-based businesses,” said Elaine Tutein, owner of Little Treehouse Family Childcare in Roslindale. “My hope is this pilot initiative will demonstrate that experienced family child care educators will maintain the high quality and individualized care that is the hallmark of their practice while increasing much needed capacities”
“I am grateful to EEC for making this pilot program possible and for supporting family child care educators,” said Edna Cabral, Owner and Educator at Edna’s Little Garden FCC. “For many of us, this pilot program represents hope. Two additional slots may seem small, but they can make a meaningful difference in helping family child care businesses remain sustainable and create more stable, full-time positions for our assistants. I believe that stronger, more stable programs and workforce ultimately benefit the children, the families and supports the strong relationships that are at the core of our programs.”
The pilot program reflects the Administration’s broader commitment to strengthening the early education workforce, expanding access to affordable child care, and supporting the diverse needs of Massachusetts families. Additional information about the pilot program and application process is being shared directly with eligible providers.
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