Strategies for Children

— Healey has called for universal pre-K in every Gateway City by the year’s end. Providers say they won’t get there, by Hallie Claflin, CommonWealth Beacon, February 18, 2026

“ ‘Do we have enough money right now in the system to fully fund spaces for every 4-year-old in every Gateway City? We’re not there yet,’ O’Leary said. ‘But the approach that we’re taking I think is our best shot at figuring that out.’ “

“Early education advocates like Amy O’Leary, executive director of the nonprofit Strategies for Children, agree.

“ ‘There are many families that are paying…tuition because the CPPI grant money doesn’t have that full reach,’ assistant superintendent of Salem Public Schools Kate Carbone said. ‘We target [grant resources] to the families with the highest need, but the funds don’t take care of everybody.’

"And, child care providers in cities that are participating say that while CPPI funding can be used for tuition relief, it does not cover every child fully."

"Healey’s fiscal 2027 budget asks for another $32 million for CPPI with a ‘pledge to achieve universal pre-kindergarten funding in all Gateway Cities this year.’ But seven of the 26 cities have not applied for funds through the CPPI program.

“The legislature has so far allocated about $60 million for the Commonwealth Preschool Partnership Initiative (CPPI), the main state grant program through which universal pre-K expansion is funded.

"At the center of the proposal was a lofty goal: By the end of 2026, every family of a 4-year-old in the state’s 26 Gateway Cities will have the opportunity – at low or no cost – to enroll their child in a preschool program that prepares them for kindergarten.

“Establishing universal pre-K for children in Gateway cities has been a priority of Gov. Maura Healey’s since she announced the ‘Gateway to Pre-K‘ initiative in January 2024.

buff.ly/VFtkmuu

“Senator Lewis has been a champion for young children and early educators, delivering critical funding and policy supports for more than a decade. We will miss his partnership, and we wish him well in his next chapter.”

Responding to news of Lewis’ retirement, Strategies for Children’s Executive Director Amy O’Leary said, “We thank Senator Lewis for his consistent leadership in the Senate and as co-chair of the Joint Committee on Education.

Lewis will serve until the end of his current term, and he will not seek reelection in the fall.

Today's blog:

Yesterday, State Senator Jason Lewis announced that he will be retiring from the Massachusetts Legislature, and we want to share our gratitude for his years of leadership on early education and care policy.

buff.ly/6g46dq1

@seiu509.bsky.social nos vemos pronto!

Únete a nosotros el Miércoles, 4 de Marzo a las 6:30 PM
¿Cómo unirse a estas llamadas? Visite www.strategiesforchildren.org/930call, haga clic en el botón naranja de registro y complete el formulario. Recibirá un correo electrónico con el enlace de Zoom.

Junte-se a nós amanhã! Como participar dessas chamadas? Acesse buff.ly/mqanlbN, clique no botão laranja de inscrição e preencha o formulário. Você receberá um e-mail com o link do Zoom. Usamos o mesmo link do Zoom para todas as chamadas das 9h30.

We hope everyone is staying safe during The Blizzard of 2026 - join us today and all week on #The930Call How to join these calls? Visit buff.ly/mqanlbN, click the orange registration button, and complete the form. You will receive an email with the Zoom link.

Child care is what we consider a public good. It should be similar to K-12 education, but it’s just not financed like that.”

— “In Massachusetts, child care costs are out of reach for most working parents,” by Kara Baskin, The Boston Globe, February 20, 2026

“Joshi: I do think this audience really is policy makers... At a minimum, the legislature should fund a child care financial assistance program so that working parents can afford child care.

"If they use home-based care, their estimated annual price would be $28,067: $14,467 for infant care and $13,599 for preschool care. Gulp.”

“For a full-time working parent in Massachusetts with two children — an infant and a preschooler — the estimated annual child care price is $44,649 if they use center-based care: $26,709 for infant care and $17,939 for preschool care.

"Eighty-five percent of Black parents and 92 percent of Hispanic parents in Massachusetts face unaffordable center-based child care prices, they found.”

“In Massachusetts, nearly three-quarters of full-time, year-round working parents face child care costs that exceed that federal affordability benchmark of 7 percent.

The cost of care should not exceed 7 percent of family income.

Friday quote:

“Researchers Pamela Joshi and Abigail Walters focused their analysis on full-time, year-round working parents with children under 14, comparing what full-time child care costs in today’s market to the federal affordability benchmark:

buff.ly/QcoQalk

Today's Blog:

Meet Juanita "Nita" Doss of Advocacy Network.

Doss is the Afterschool and Summer Program Director at The Elizabeth Peabody House, and she's working to systematically improve mental health services for children.

buff.ly/5FUtOLr

Ven a celebrar nuestro segundo aniversario ESTA NOCHE - Miércoles, 18 de Febrero a las 6:30 PM ¿Cómo unirse a estas llamadas? Visite www.strategiesforchildren.org/930call, haga clic en el botón naranja de registro y complete el formulario. Recibirá un correo electrónico con el enlace de Zoom.

Junte-se a nós na próxima semana! Como participar dessas chamadas? Acesse www.strategiesforchildren.org/930call, clique no botão laranja de inscrição e preencha o formulário. Você receberá um e-mail com o link do Zoom. Usamos o mesmo link do Zoom para todas as chamadas das 9h30.

Join us today and all week on #The930Call

How to join these calls? Visit www.strategiesforchildren.org/930call, click the orange registration button, and complete the form. You will receive an email with the Zoom link. We use the same Zoom link for all 9:30 calls.

Ven a celebrar nuestro segundo aniversario el Miércoles, 18 de Febrero a las 6:30 PM ¿Cómo unirse a estas llamadas? Visite www.strategiesforchildren.org/930call, haga clic en el botón naranja de registro y complete el formulario. Recibirá un correo electrónico con el enlace de Zoom.