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Committee Hears Calls to Raise Pay, Expand Access for Family, Friend and Neighbor Childcare
Summary
Witnesses, many caregivers and community organizers, urged the Joint Committee on Education to support H542/S341 to raise payments to family, friend and neighbor (FFN) childcare providers to at least minimum wage, fix voucher flexibility and create supports and outreach for informal providers.
House Chair Kenneth Gordon and Senate Co-chair Jason Lewis presided over a joint education committee hearing at the State House where dozens of caregivers, grandparents and union representatives urged lawmakers to back H542/S341, legislation to expand access to family, friend and neighbor (FFN) childcare. Witnesses said the bills would raise pay for FFN providers, make state childcare vouchers more flexible across formal and informal care, and build outreach and training supports for largely invisible home-based providers.
The bill “would strengthen state support for FFN providers by guaranteeing they earn at least the state minimum wage,” said Alejandra Dehaev, family childcare coordinator with Local 509, arguing that improving payment and flexibility would “provide a much needed boost for their families.” Lindsey Kenny, legislative director for the Mass AFL-CIO, told the committee that fewer than 1 percent of state childcare subsidy dollars go to FFN providers and…
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