Early childhood is in crisis in Central Massachusetts and across the Commonwealth.
Early education and care centers are closing. The early education workforce, notoriously underpaid, is leaving in droves for other jobs. When centers do remain open, families with young children often can’t afford the cost of tuition.
Fortunately, we have a solution. The Common Start bill would establish a pathway to affordable early education and care for all Massachusetts families, but it needs your support.
Make your voice heard for young children, families and your community
The state’s Joint Committee on Education will hear testimony regarding the Common Start bill on November 23rd and your viewpoint could be used as testimony. A letter to legislators may take a few minutes to compose, but the benefits could be felt for generations.
What to do:
- Write a letter addressed to the Chairs of the Joint Committee on Education, Chair Jason Lewis and Chair Alice Peisch. Tell them why the Common Start bill matters to you, your organization, your family, your business, the entire community, or all of the above.
Need help getting started? Find letter-writing instructions here, use this template, and/or check out the Common Start Coalition’s summary overview of the Common Start bill and fact sheet, in English or Spanish.
- Email your letter to James Wu at james@field-first.com for use as testimony during the hearing on November 23rd.
Why it matters: affordable, accessible, high-quality childcare impacts every one of us
High-quality, affordable childcare is felt immediately and for generations to come because it encourages intellectual, social-emotional, and physical development in young children, improves family stability, and promotes neighborhood and economic growth.
Without affordable childcare, the opposite is true: parents and caregivers are unable to fully participate in the workforce, businesses struggle to find staff, and, worst of all, young children don’t get what they need to be successful through their academic and professional lives.=
The time is now! Universal, high-quality, affordable early education and care is finally within reach
Fifteen years ago, Massachusetts led the country in providing a model for universal health care. Now we have an opportunity to lead once again by ensuring all young children and families have a fair chance.
Tell your friends, tell your family, tell your boss, and tell your state legislators. Help make the Common Start bill law and show the rest of the country what community and economic growth looks like.
Visit commonstartma.org for more information.