Policy Pulse #15
In each issue of the Policy Pulse, we share an overview of what’s happening in Massachusetts and national child care policy and information on what you can do to take action and join the movement for a transformed early education and care system. You’ll also find resources, reports, and advocacy tools. Let’s dive in.
What To Know
The Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care Held its September Board Meeting
The Board of Massachusetts’ Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) most recently met on September 10, 2025. Important decisions about the early education and care sector are made at monthly EEC board meetings, and you can read the wrap-up here! Here are highlights of what happened at the September board meeting:
An update on the Fiscal Year 2026 state budget and Inter-Agency Early Education and Care Task Force
A discussion about the Board’s strategic planning session
A vote on transferring funds to the Career Pathways and Early Childhood Educators Scholarship programs; read more here!
Joint Committee on Education Met for Hearing of Early Childhood Education Bills
On September 2nd, the state legislature’s Joint Committee on Education met to hear from the public about bills related to early childhood education and care. There were 18 bills on the table for discussion, though 10 of those were closed without comment (no member of the public was there to comment on those specific bills). Among the bills discussed, the ones that received the most comment were H542/S341, “An Act expanding access to family, friend, and neighbor-provided childcare”, and H541/ S373, “An Act enhancing learning in the early school years through a ban on school exclusion in public prekindergarten through 3rd grade”, respectively. The Committee Chair, Representative Gordon, encouraged members of the public to submit written or oral (via video recording) testimony to the Committee.
Guidance for Immigration-Related Concerns Is Available from the State of Massachusetts
As the school year restarts, the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) re-issued guidance to support families and programs with immigration-related concerns, including a Know Your Rights presentation recording created in partnership with the Massachusetts Office for Refugees and Immigrants and guidance for early education and care programs from the Attorney General’s Office on how to protect child, family, and employee information. Additional resources are available to immigrant communities.
U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Approves Fiscal Year 2026 Appropriations Bill
On September 2nd, the U.S House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies voted to approve its Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations bill. The bill proposes funding the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services at $108.6 billion, a $6.8 billion reduction. Additionally, the bill would level fund the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) and Head Start and eliminate Preschool Development Grants (PDG) and the Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) program. The bill will now go before the full committee for its consideration. At the end of July, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved its Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations bill. That bill provides $197 billion in discretionary funding, increases funding for CCDBG and Head Start by $85 million, continues to fund PDG and CCAMPIS, and more.
U.S. Department of Education Discontinues CCAMPIS Grants for Some Colleges; Congress Tries to Reinstate
The U.S. Department of Education has notified more than a dozen colleges that it will no longer provide them with CCAMPIS grants due to concerns about curriculum content and diversity initiatives. CCAMPIS provides low-income parents attending college with child care opportunities. While some colleges received this notification, about 100 others were told their CCAMPIS funding would continue.
On September 18th, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (MA-5) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) reintroduced legislation to help restore the CCAMPIS program and increase access to on-campus child care for the more than 3 million parenting students nationally currently enrolled in higher education programs.
New Mexico Becomes First U.S. State to Provide Universal Free Child Care
Starting in November, all families in New Mexico will be eligible for Child Care FinancialAssistance (CCFA) from the state, regardless of income. This is part of the historic investments that New Mexico has made since 2019, when the state passed a constitutional amendmentconcerning early education. Read more here.
What To Do
Contact Your Federal Representatives
The U.S. Congress is making important decisions about funding, including for early education and child care. It's critical that federal lawmakers hear from you about the importance of protecting early learning programs. Contact your house member and senator before September 30th and let them know you need them to keep funding in place for CCDBG and Head Start. You can find their contact information here.
Ready to create change in your community? Join Neighborhood Villages for our new virtual four-part series, Community Classroom!
Over four weeks, we'll help you realize your power and find your voice. Learn how to transformyour passion into purpose and build the skills you need to become a confident advocate for theissues that matter most to you. This series starts Wednesday, October 1st at 6:30pm onZoom and will be followed by virtual meetings on 10/15, 10/29, and 11/5. Register here.
What’s Next
The next meeting of the EEC Board of Directors will be on October 15th at 1pm. A full schedule of meetings as well as recordings and meeting materials can be found here. We will share a full recap of this meeting in the issue of the Policy Pulse that comes out after the meeting.
The U.S. Congress must come to a funding agreement by September 30, 2025.
Applications for Fiscal Year 2026 Commonwealth Cares for Children (C3) grants will become available in November. New eligibility requirements, including programs attesting their willingness to accept children receiving Child Care Financial Assistance(CCFA), will go into effect.