Across the country, cities and towns are taking action to strengthen child care. Among them is Brewster, Mass., on Cape Cod, where residents are waiting to see the results of a strategic, $250,000 investment of town funds that voters approved.
In 2023, Brewster was exploring the feasibility of town-funded child care.
In 2024, Brewster announced that it was launching a new Preschool Family Support Pilot Program that would “provide up to $3,000 in funding for families with children ages 3 or 4 years old to help cover the costs of preschool services by a certified childcare provider.”
The program began last September and will run through June of this year.
As The Cape Cod Chronicle reports, the program has been implemented successfully:
“Town officials have been working directly with 13 childcare providers to cover a portion of a family’s monthly bill. If the families decided to stretch the funding over 10 months, the checks would cover $300 of their monthly childcare bill.”
“As of Jan. 1, all but $22,000 of the $250,000 has been awarded to applicants.”
Families do not have to meet any income eligibility standards.
Brewster’s efforts are a win for town families and a good example of how local action can help children and families thrive.