Massachusetts task force releases Year 1 report with 31 recommendations to boost child care access, affordability and workforce

An interagency task force convened under Governor Maura Healey released its Year 1 report on early education and child care at an event at the LSA Early Learning Center, laying out 31 recommendations to improve access, affordability, equity and quality across the commonwealth.

The report, the outcome of more than a year of work and a series of statewide listening sessions, recommends stepped-up cross-secretariat coordination, new workforce pathways, targeted capital supports for providers and a project-management structure inside the Office of Administration and Finance to carry the agenda forward. "The report and recommendations that are released today ... are a culmination of more than a year of work," said Pat Tuckweather, a co-chair of the interagency task force.

Why it matters: State officials framed the report as a whole-of-government response to what they described as structural problems in the child care market — a mismatch between high social and economic value and a market that leaves families facing high costs and providers underpaid. "That is a classic market failure situation, which means this is a hard problem," said Yvonne Howe, secretary of economic development, who emphasized the sector's importance to employers and the broader economy.

Key findings and recommendations - Listening and evidence: Task force members held 14 listening sessions (nine in person and five virtual), drawing more than 750 attendees and more than 350 written responses, officials said. Those engagements informed the report's proposals across affordability, quality, equity and workforce development. - Workforce pipeline and professionalization: The report prioritizes building education and career pathways for early childhood educators, including leveraging community colleges, registered apprenticeships and on-the-job training to improve recruitment and retention. Lauren Jones, secretary of labor and workforce development, highlighted nearly 270 apprentices currently enrolled in registered apprenticeship programs for early educators. - Capital and small-business supports: State officials said they will use MassDevelopment tools and other small-business resources to help providers upgrade facilities — plumbing, HVAC, roofing and accessibility — and to channel capital where centers need it. - Business front door and employer engagement: The report recommends a "business front door" to simplify access to state resources for providers and employers. Officials described the front door as a single point of contact that would route providers to the appropriate agency supports and a concierge follow-up. - Cross-agency implementation and accountability: To move recommendations into action, the administration assigned implementation oversight to the Office of Administration and Finance. Dana Sullivan, identified in the meeting as chief strategy and operations officer at that office, will lead a project-management team with a designated lead agency or secretariat for each recommendation and stakeholder engagement at the recommendation level. - Areas for additional study: Officials said several recommendations will require further research or cross-agency studies, including special-education connections for children in community-based settings, transportation links for centers, and employer-specific approaches to supporting child care.

Claims and numbers discussed in the meeting - The task force reported conducting 14 listening sessions (9 in person, 5 virtual), with more than 750 attendees and more than 350 written submissions. - Officials said the commonwealth added about 15,000 child-care seats in the last two years; speakers presented that as progress while noting more work is required. - The report contains 31 recommendations and the task force is planned to continue for at least three years; implementation will include assigned leads and project-management staffing.

Process and next steps State leaders described the next phase as a pragmatic, implementation-focused effort rather than another study. The Office of Administration and Finance will assign lead agencies and project managers for each recommendation, and officials said the task force will pursue stakeholder engagement targeted to each recommendation. Officials also said they expect new recommendations and refinements to emerge as implementation proceeds.

The report and materials are available online from the Office of Early Education and Care and the administration; officials urged stakeholders to review and engage with the recommendation-level work as it begins.

Ending Speakers at the event framed the report as a starting point for coordinated state action and emphasized sustained engagement with providers, families and employers. "We are ready to roll our sleeves and get to work on it," Tuckweather said.