FY ’18 PMKF Recommendations

Since 2001, state funding for community-based early education and care and out-of-school time has not kept pace with inflation, resulting in a reduction of more than $100 million – a 50% decrease in the state’s commitment to its youngest scholars.  Strengthening community-based early education and care should be an integral part of the Commonwealth’s long-term plan to invest in human capital to support growth and quality goals.

For FY ’18 the Put MA Kids First Coalition supports:

• The fields’ request of $36.4 million for the early education and school age rate reserve (line item 1599-0042)
• Continued investment of $2.5 million for direct quality grants to early education and care programs (line item 3000-1020)
• Encouraging funding for the Department of Early Education and Care to meet its regulatory and support obligations.

Together these will:

• Helps to move the average early educator salary from $25,000 to $27,250
• Addresses the 30% early educator staff turnover rate that hinders quality
• Moves subsidy rates to the 50^th percentile, increasing high-quality options for children

Overwhelmingly, current state investment levels place the brunt of the deficit in the early education and care and out-of-school time system on the shoulders of working women, who are often heads of households and living on the margins. Because median salaries stagnate around $25,000 a year, 37% of early educators are forced to rely on some form of public assistance. The funding levels requested above will continue our steady march towards a stronger effective and more equitable quality early education and care system in Massachusetts.

Please join us in making these recommendations a reality for the children of Massachusetts, their families and providers!