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State budget proposal seeks to preserve child-care gains but leaves income-eligible wait list closed
Summary
The administration seeks to maintain Commonwealth Cares for Children (C3), expand preschool partnerships and hold child-care financial assistance at record levels, while officials say the current funding will not allow reopening the long frozen income‑eligible wait list.
Lede: The Haley‑Driscoll administration’s fiscal 2026 budget holds funding to sustain the Commonwealth Cares for Children program and keeps child‑care financial assistance at a record level, but state officials said the money as proposed would not allow them to reopen the longstanding income‑eligible wait list.
Nut graf: At a March hearing of the Joint Committee on Ways and Means in Amherst, Secretary of Education Pat Tutwiler and Early Education and Care Commissioner Amy Kershaw described gains since 2023—more seats, higher early‑educator pay and new preschool partnerships—while also warning the committee that roughly 30,000 children remain on the state’s child‑care waiting list and current proposals prioritize children in state‑entitlement categories.
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