SOME MASSACHUSETTS FAMILIES over the last month may have noticed a lower fee to pay for child care. Some may have noticed their early education programs did not have to collect as much burdensome paperwork. Families also may have received a text telling them financial assistance is now available for child care and how to complete an application. That’s because the Healey-Driscoll administration has launched significant improvements to the state’s child care financial assistance programs.  

We know that high-quality child care and out-of-school time programs help prepare children for school and life success, particularly children impacted by poverty and historical inequalities. We also know that for many families, it’s too expensive and hard to get help. I deeply believe in the potential of government to be a positive catalyst for change in the lives of those we are here to serve. But it matters how we do it. 

Through my career in public service at the Departments of Early Education and Care (EEC), Children and Families, and Transitional Assistance, I have seen firsthand the power of centering our work on the family experience, and the impact that accessible, modern, dignified, and flexible government services can make.

These ideals guided our work to improve the state’s child care financial assistance programs, which launched on October 1. We are changing the way our agency, early education and care programs, and the public at large view these programs as we continue to collaborate with families and community partners around ongoing improvements.  

We are simplifying the application process for families and reducing unnecessary paperwork. We are also using new technology to reach families in ways that work for them and in multiple languages.

The programs will now better reflect today’s workforce and how people work, including supporting families on parental leave. They also better support our young parents, families with disabilities and those experiencing homelessness and domestic violence. Families experiencing homelessness will no longer have a co-pay for care as they work to secure stable housing. Also, many other families will see their co-pays reduced, freeing up needed income to put food on the table and meet their basic needs. To better connect families to these programs, EEC has created new website pages that are user and mobile friendly at Mass.gov/CCFA.  

Massachusetts is not alone in moving in this direction. Recently, the Biden-Harris administration proposed child care changes that align with these efforts to reduce costs for families and make it easier for programs to participate.  

Child care financial assistance is a critical tool to close the opportunity gap in our state – for children and their families – and to break the cycle of multigenerational poverty. Our programs follow a two-generation approach that supports family economic mobility, enabling families to work, return to work, or participate in education and training opportunities, while preparing our youngest learners with the physical, academic, and social-emotional skills they need to succeed in school. 

As a working mom who was lucky enough to have my kids in quality, stable child care and out-of-school time programs, I know personally how important this access is to families and their employers.  Improving access for all families in the communities in which they live, learn, and work is key to strengthening our economy and creating a more affordable and competitive Massachusetts.   

Amy Kershaw is commissioner of the Department of Early Education & Care.