The Healy Driscoll Administration and the Department of Early Education and Care (ECC) announced United Way’s Shared Services Program will receive significant funding as part of a statewide pilot program to grow the early childhood education workforce. The program’s aim is to support workforce development pathways, including registered apprenticeships, for center-based and family childcare and graduate 250 FCC educators by 2026.
“Our administration is committed to making early education and care more affordable and accessible for families across the state,” said Governor Maura Healey. “With support from game-changing programs like C3, we made progress last year with more families able to enroll their children in affordable child care, more educators being hired, and educator wages continuing to increase. But we know there is more work to be done. These new partnerships build on that success and take a regional approach to promoting a robust early childhood workforce.”
Since its start in 2022, Shared Services Licensing Support Program has licensed 47-culturally aware family childcare educators through the licensing process and the opening of their home-based businesses, creating nearly 300 childcare slots in Boston alone. UWMB’s Shared Services Program recently graduated 31 educators, providing more culturally-centered child care slots for families in the state.
“We are excited to continue our partnership with the Department of Early Education and Care to advance a thriving, equitable Commonwealth, uplifting and centering the needs of our communities,” said Daphne Principe-Griffin, Interim President and Chief Executive Officer at United Way of Massachusetts Bay. “Quality, culturally appropriate childcare where children live and play is a critical part of the solution. Family childcare educator/entrepreneurs not only help ensure young children have early learning environments to grow and thrive and families can go back to work with peace of mind, but they also contribute to our economy and our communities as new small business owners.”
Experts estimate Baystate families lose $1.7 billion a year in lost wages due to missing work or reduced work hours because of lack of childcare. As staffing shortages and rising costs keep options limited to families, the United Way of Massachusetts Bay’s Shared Services Program has bridged the gap for families in Greater Boston.
Other pilot partnerships awarded this grant include the Community Group, based in Lawrence, selected to support center-based apprenticeship programs, Family Services of Central Massachusetts, serving EEC’s Western and Central region, and the SEIU Education and Support Fund, serving EEC’s Southeast and Cape region.
To learn more about the grant and the Governor's Early Education and Care Task Force go to https://unitedwaymassbay.org/news/healey-driscoll-administration-announces-four-new-partnerships-to-build-early-education-workforce