The Desktop
From the Desk of Neighborhood Villages
RECAP of the September EEC Board Meeting: Update on Financial Assistance, C3 Spring Survey, and The Economics of Child Care
At Neighborhood Villages, we prioritize keeping up with the policy landscape in the early education and care field, both across the country and in Massachusetts. That includes tuning-in to the monthly meetings of the Massachusetts Board of Early Education and Care (“EEC Board”), to stay apprised of updates and to identify opportunities for how we can work with government and other stakeholders to improve our early education and care system
ICYMI: Co-Founder, Lauren Kennedy, Testifies at the Joint Committee on Education Informational Hearing
Early education and care play a critical role in shaping a child’s future and supporting working families. However, in Massachusetts, and across the country, the child care system has faced numerous challenges and shortcomings, leaving families struggling to access affordable, high-quality care for their children.
Our work to address the children’s mental health crisis
Right now, we are in the midst of a mental health crisis that is affecting even our youngest children. Made worse by the pandemic, long delayed or absent mental health services have resulted in an urgent need for mental health supports in early childhood education (ECE) settings. That’s why here at Neighborhood Villages, we’ve prioritized creating an innovative, scalable model for how centralized and multi-layered mental health supports can be delivered in ECE settings in Massachusetts.
No One is Coming to Save Us: Pushing change forward in D.C.
In this episode of No One is Coming to Save Us, veteran reporter Gloria Riviera and Neighborhood Villages’ Senior Director of Advocacy Latoya Gayle visit our nation’s capital to speak with local advocates about their successful, years-long campaign to pass universal pre-K in D.C.
Back for Season 3: ‘No One Is Coming To Save Us’ hits nationwide tour to discuss the child care crisis with local experts
America’s child care system is broken and still, more than three years after the pandemic began, no one is coming to save us. That’s why veteran reporter Gloria Riviera and local Boston mom, activist, and Neighborhood Villages’ Senior Director of Advocacy Latoya Gayle, have set out for season 3 of hit podcast No One Is Coming To Save Us.
RECAP of the June EEC Board Meeting: Maintaining the Child Care Financial Assistance Parent Fee Scale and Updating Board By-Laws
At Neighborhood Villages, we prioritize keeping up with the policy landscape in the early education and care field, both across the country and in Massachusetts. That includes tuning-in to the monthly meetings of the Massachusetts Board of Early Education and Care (“EEC Board”), to stay apprised of updates and to identify opportunities for how we can work with government and other stakeholders to improve our early education and care system.
RECAP of the May EEC Board Meeting: Residential & Placement Program Regulations and Reimbursement Rate Structure Update
The primary topics of this month’s Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) Board meeting were an overview of residential and placement programs – as a preview of a framework for regulatory revisions to those programs – and an update on the reimbursement rate structure and plan.
RECAP of the April EEC Board Meeting: Changes to Child Care Financial Assistance Regulations and a Look into EEC’s Cost of Care Research
At Neighborhood Villages, we tune-in to the monthly meetings of the Massachusetts Board of Early Education and Care (“EEC Board”), to stay apprised of updates and to identify opportunities for how we can work with government and other stakeholders to improve our early education and care system. The primary topics of this month’s Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) Board meeting were a vote on proposed changes to child care financial assistance regulations and the sharing of EEC’s cost of care research.
Piloting Teaching and Learning Supports that are Critical to a Functioning Child Care System
Neighborhood Villages set out to create a comprehensive menu of ECE teaching and learning supports, including a strengths-based, educator focused coaching model, professional development workshops and webinars, and a monthly newsletter highlighting best practices and wonderful work already happening.
RECAP of the March EEC Board Meeting: Focus on Financial Assistance for Child Care
At Neighborhood Villages, we prioritize keeping up with the policy landscape in the early education and care field, both across the country and in Massachusetts. That includes tuning-in to the monthly meetings of the Massachusetts Board of Early Education and Care (“EEC Board”), to stay apprised of updates and to identify opportunities for how we can work with government and other stakeholders to improve our early education and care system.
No One Is Coming To Save Us — A story about how to fix our broken child care system
Kate Duncan, Neighborhood Villages supporter and volunteer, writes on the Liberty Mutual blog about her child care story.
Massachusetts Governor’s Budget Sends Strong Signal of Support for Early Ed
Last week, Governor Maura Healey unveiled her Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 budget proposal, which includes major investments in the state’s early education and care sector – a hopeful sign of good things to come. The Governor’s budget, referred to as H.1, provides a historic investment of nearly $1.5 billion in funding for the early education and care sector.
RECAP of the February EEC Board Meeting: Putting a Focus on Workforce Development
At Neighborhood Villages, we tune-in to the monthly meetings of the Massachusetts Board of Early Education and Care (“EEC Board”), to stay apprised of updates and to identify opportunities for how we can work with government and other stakeholders to improve our early education and care system.
Our Child Care Priorities for the 2023-2024 Legislative Session
To achieve our vision, we are excited to announce our immediate priorities for the 2023-2024 legislative session, which are driven by our fight for a more affordable, accessible, and equitable child care system.
Operations Grants are Critical to Sustaining and Growing the Early Ed Sector in Massachusetts
Neighborhood Villages is advocating for policymakers to make operations grants a permanent vehicle for funding the early education and care sector.
RECAP of Jan EEC Board Meeting: EEC Updates & Situating Early Ed Workforce Challenges in the Context of the MA Labor Market
At Neighborhood Villages, we prioritize keeping up with the policy landscape in the early education and care field, both across the country and in Massachusetts. That includes tuning-in to the monthly meetings of the Massachusetts Board of Early Education and Care (“EEC Board”), to stay apprised of updates and to identify opportunities for how we can work with government and other stakeholders to improve our early education and care system.
RECAP of the December EEC Board Meeting: Revising MA’s Subsidy System Regulations & New Survey Results on the Commonwealth Cares for Children (C3) Operational Grant Program
At Neighborhood Villages, we prioritize keeping up with the policy landscape in the early education and care field, both across the country and in Massachusetts. That includes tuning-in to the monthly meetings of the Massachusetts Board of Early Education and Care (“EEC Board”), to stay apprised of updates and to identify opportunities for how we can work with government and other stakeholders to improve our early education and care system.
RECAP: November EEC Board Meeting—Child Care Subsidy Reimbursement Rates & Proposed Revisions to Subsidy System Regulations
At Neighborhood Villages, we prioritize keeping up with the policy landscape in the early education and care field, both across the country and in Massachusetts. That includes tuning-in to the monthly meetings of the Massachusetts Board of Early Education and Care (EEC), to stay apprised of updates and to identify opportunities for how we can work with government and other stakeholders to improve our early education and care system.
A New Play-Based Early Education Curriculum
Neighborhood Villages is thrilled to announce a new partnership with the LEGO Foundation and Boston Public Schools (BPS) Department of Early Childhood to develop a first-of-its-kind play-based, vertically aligned curriculum for early childhood education settings.
Investing in Early Education Providers Through Business Management Trainings
At Neighborhood Villages, we know that successfully overhauling our broken early education and care system starts with assigning professional value to early educators. That’s why we are working to build an example of what a comprehensive early education workforce infrastructure can look like if we properly invest in and support early educators.