The Boston Globe reports on the child care crisis

As a new Boston Globe article explains, Massachusetts is finding its way through the nationwide child care shortage with welcome short-term solutions — that will eventually need to be bolstered by long-term investments.

The article starts by telling the story of Joanna Hendrix, an early educator in the infant room at United South End Settlements’ child care center.

“After 18 years in child care, Hendrix knows babies well — what blanket Milo needs, how Celia likes to be fed, which toys J’Lian prefers. But every day feels more difficult than the last, as Hendrix watches colleagues leave for higher-paying jobs elsewhere. The center is strapped for resources at every turn.

“Those financial strains are likely to get worse: Pandemic-era federal funding for child care ended in September. Governor Maura Healey and the Legislature provided one-time state funding of $475 million to the industry through the end of the fiscal year in June.

“This year, the state separately also budgeted roughly $850 million — mostly from the federal government — to support child care financial assistance through items such as subsidies for low-income families and reimbursements to the providers who serve them.”

During the pandemic, early childhood providers received federal Covid relief funds in the form of Commonwealth Cares for Children (C3) grants that helped them achieve economic stability.

Once this state and federal support expires, however, many programs will face tough choices such as deciding whether to raise tuition or to close entirely.

As the Globe article explains, United South End Settlements (USES) is reluctant to raise tuition.

“Families who pay full price contribute between $22,000 to $37,000 per year, depending on the child’s age. Sixty percent of families receive some kind of subsidy based on their earnings.

“Yet the money coming in does not match that going out. For each child on subsidies, the center says it has a $6,500 annual gap in funding.

“For three years, USES directed thousands of dollars from the C3 grants to maintenance on its century-old building, pay for recruiters, and bonuses for educators… Even with the grants, the center could not afford raises for teachers, who make between $19 and $22 an hour. The center recently had to close a classroom and absorb its students into two other rooms.

“USES remains four teachers short. Applications are not piling up.”

The article adds:

“Throngs of providers see the C3 grants not as a benefit but rather an ‘indispensable tool’ to keep centers open, said Amy O’Leary, executive director of the advocacy group Strategies for Children. Providers across Massachusetts say the grants helped them stave off tuition increases and accommodate children with greater needs.”

Bills pending in the State House call for making significant investments of public dollars to stabilize early childhood programs. If additional funds were available, the article explains, “81 percent of Massachusetts center-based providers would increase salaries for educators, according to a survey from the nonprofit Neighborhood Villages. One in eight providers would consider reducing tuition.”

Increasing access and affordability to early childhood programs is crucial to parents like Molly and Brian Langevin who are featured in the article and send their children to USES.

“As two accountants, the Langevins can afford tuition,” the article explains. “But with the birth of their second child this fall, the day-care bill for two — about $60,000 per year — stings.

“ ‘We’re not in a position where someone has to quit their job to stay home,’ MollyLangevin said. ‘But we probably cannot afford to have a third kid.’ ”

“Expanding funding for child care would lead to increases in the number of employed parents and the hours they work, a study from the University of Massachusetts Boston found. The percentage of infant and toddler mothers employed in the state would rise from 70.5 percent to 74 percent, the study said.”

The good news is that Massachusetts can become a leader by making long-term investments in early childhood programs. Legislation like the Common Start bill can help move the state forward, ensuring that young children can enroll in high-quality programs, that parents can go to work, and that Massachusetts is a state that invests in the prosperity of young families. 

To learn more, check out the article.