INVESTING IN OUR CHILDREN
CHILDCARE & EDUCATION
Quality, accessible early childhood care and education leads to better health, social and economic outcomes which boosts the economy and provides a more equitable society.
Each dollar invested in early childcare programs produces more than seven dollars of discounted returns over the lifetimes of the children, promoting social mobility and the economic and social welfare of both parents and children.
UNIVERSAL, AFFORDABLE CHILD CARE
Massachusetts has the second highest childcare costs, second only to the District of Columbia. The average annual cost for infant care is $20,913, which is more expensive than in-state college tuition and more than 30% more expensive the average rent in the state.
The U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services considers childcare affordable if it does not exceed 7% of a family’s income. By this standard, only 5.4% of Massachusetts families can afford infant care for a single child. For a minimum wage worker, child care costs take up more than 80% of the average annual income.
Universal child care is the best option to combat this economic crisis. Under this plan, the state will partner with local childcare providers to create a network of quality childcare options, including locally-licensed child care centers, preschool centers, and in-home child care options. All providers would be held to high standards and an expansive group of providers will be included to ensure that no matter where a family lives, their child would have access to quality care and early learning.
Childcare costs will be capped at 7% of a family’s household income, with childcare offered for free to families with incomes at 200% of the federal poverty level or lower.
This will save Massachusetts families nearly $14,000 per infant, and will enable parents who are currently unemployed or underemployed to fully participate in the labor economy. As the childcare burden disproportionately falls on women’s shoulders, universal childcare is critical to promote gender equality and advance economic opportunities for women. Families will also have nearly 20% more of their income to spend on other necessities, expanding the Massachusetts economy with $4.8 billion of new economic activity.
A LIVABLE WAGE FOR CHILDCARE WORKERS
The majority of childcare workers and early-childhood educators in Massachusetts live on near-poverty wages; the median wage is just under $13 per hour (compared to a kindergarten teacher who makes, on average, over $41 per hour). Nearly 40% of the state’s childcare workers receive some form of public assistance.
We can, and must, do better. We’ll start by increasing the mandatory minimum wage to $17 per hour, the amount determined to be a “livable wage” by MIT. Next, we’ll require increased wages for all early education providers to be paid like comparable public school teachers.
FREE, FULL-DAY KINDERGARTEN
Kindergarten is a critical resource to prepare our children for elementary school, but the majority of towns in our district still don’t have free, full-day kindergarten. Most towns charge between $3,000 - $4,000 per year per child, which is a burdensome cost on families who rely on full-day kindergarten in order to work.
Our plan is simple - free, full-day kindergarten for every child in Massachusetts.