Massachusetts added over 8,700 new child care seats in the last year with support from C3 program

Framingham - At today’s meeting of the Board of Early Education and Care, the Healey-Driscoll Administration presented data analysis that shows that the Commonwealth Cares for Children (C3) program continues to drive growth across the state’s early education and care system. C3 supported more than 7,500 programs in Massachusetts this fiscal year, helping them employ more than 45,000 educators. With support from C3, the state added 8,700 center-based and family child care seats for children in the last year, continuing to expand beyond pre-pandemic license capacity and helping to make costs more affordable. The system has now grown by 45,000 seats compared to the pandemic-low in spring of 2021.?

“Under our administration, Massachusetts is the only state to maintain C3 funding at the same level the federal government did. I am proud that we made this program permanent last year – which has been a gamechanger for not only maintaining but growing the number of child care seats in every region of the state,” said Governor Maura Healey. “I want to thank the Legislature for their continued partnership. Thanks to C3, more families are able to enroll their children in affordable child care, more parents can return to the workforce and more educators are being hired at higher wages.”

“Two years ago, C3 funding helped our child care system expand beyond pre-pandemic capacity. I’m excited to see the system continued to grow this past year, adding more affordable seats across the state, increasing educator wages and reducing the number of open staff positions,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “Child care is an essential part of our economy – it’s good for families and it’s good for business.”

C3 supports early education and care providers’ day-to-day operational costs, including compensation and additional workforce and quality investments that enable programs to better recruit and retain staff while mitigating increased costs for families. Over 87% of licensed and funded early education and care programs completed EEC’s survey between August and September 2024. The main findings from the data analysis include:

• Child care licensed capacity continues to increase, with the capacity to serve 8,700 more children (4 percent increase) compared to the same time last year.
• Licensed capacity is continuing to grow in all types of communities in Massachusetts, especially in areas that have historically lacked resources and opportunities.
• Over the last two years, the state added 17,423 center-based and family child care seats for children.
• Providers are directing a larger proportion of C3 funding to workforce-related expenses, increasing the workforce-related percentage from 66 in 2023 to 68 this past year. This includes providers investing in existing payroll and benefits and investments in salary increases.
• Educator compensation continues to grow, increasing almost 20% in the last two and a half years, exceeding average inflation over that same time period.
• Signs of improvement are also seen broadly in the early education and care workforce as the percentage of vacant positions across the system decreased from 11% to 9% compared to 2023.
• C3 has helped programs operating in low- and moderate-opportunity communities maintain affordability, with approximately 50% of center-based programs in very low/low Child Opportunity Index areas reporting they have not increased tuition in the past 6 months and don’t plan to do so in the next 6 months.
• A majority of programs receiving C3 continue to report providing financial support to families beyond the state’s Child Care Financial Assistance programs, including 72% of center-based providers offering reduced tuition for educators and staff.

The data shows that C3 effectively helped to stabilize the child care system and continues to support system-wide growth through investments in workforce, quality, and affordability. The survey findings also highlight where more work is still needed: while educator wages have continued to rise, they remain low.

“Today’s survey data shows that C3 investments continue to have a positive impact on Massachusetts’ early education and care programs, families, and our larger economy. The Healey-Driscoll administration has prioritized accessible, affordable and equitable child care, and I am proud to see the progress that we have made. We will continue the work to ensure that our youngest learners receive the highest quality education they deserve and that early childhood educators can meet their economic mobility goals,” said Education Secretary Dr. Patrick Tutwiler.

“Under Governor Healey’s leadership, and in partnership with the Legislature, C3 continues to be an essential part of the early education and care infrastructure, helping us move towards the accessible and affordable child care system families deserve in Massachusetts,” said Early Education and Care Commissioner Amy Kershaw. “These data demonstrate that C3 is a smart and critical investment in our educators and our working families, contributing directly to the State’s economic competitiveness.”

"Today's data reaffirms what we’ve known: the C3 program is a transformative investment in Massachusetts’ children, families, and educators. By stabilizing and strengthening early education and care programs, we are not only increasing access to high-quality learning opportunities but also ensuring that our workforce is supported and fairly compensated. The continued expansion of child care capacity reflects our commitment to making early education more equitable and accessible across the Commonwealth. I look forward to continuing this work alongside our partners to build a system that meets the needs of all families," said Paul Belsito, Chair of the Board of Early Education and Care.?

In Massachusetts, the C3 Program was originally created to distribute federal child care stabilization funds from the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act and the American Rescue Plan Act. After preserving the program’s full funding amid sunsetting federal funding, Governor Healey, with the support of the Legislature, signed a final fiscal year 2025 budget that codified the program in state law. The Governor’s FY26 budget includes sustained funding for C3 at $475 million.

The initial findings from the fall 2024 survey will be available?here?and will be updated as EEC does further analysis.