The Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care is adding $31.2 million to Income Eligible Child Care Financial Assistance, which the Healey-Driscoll administration says will help about 2,100 more children, according to a Nov. 5 state announcement.
The money comes from the fiscal 2026 Fair Share supplemental budget. It will pay for more contracted child care seats and additional vouchers for families on the Income Eligible waitlist. The department will phase in the expansion and says it aims to reach families who have waited longest, including families not reached in the previous round of funding.
Part of the money is set aside for early education and care workers. More than 2,000 children of staff in early education and care programs are on the statewide waitlist, the release says. The department expects to assist about 580 children of staff, which the release puts at about 26 percent, or one in four, of those currently active on the waitlist.
Families already on the waitlist do not need to submit a new application because of the expansion. The department will work with its Child Care Resource and Referral agencies and contracted providers to contact families as assistance becomes available. Families not yet on the list can apply through the MyChildCareMA online portal or at mass.gov/CCFA.
State Sen. Jason Lewis, Senate chair of the Joint Committee on Education, said in the release that the new revenue from the state's millionaires and billionaires will support families who have been stuck on the waitlist and the staff who run the programs.
The release does not say how many children are on the full Income Eligible waitlist, so it does not show what share of the waitlist the 2,100 new slots cover. It also does not give dates for the phases.
