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Dear Julia,
It was a privilege to have Governor Maura Healey and Education Secretary, Patrick Tutwiler, visit Community Teamwork last week to announce the codification of the Commonwealth Cares for Children (C3) funding for Early Education and Childcare, making childcare more affordable and accessible. Massachusetts is the only state in the nation to continue funding the C3 stabilization grants for providers at the same level as the federal government. We are thankful for the Governor's leadership, and our S+tate delegation as well as Congresswoman Lori Trahan for their continued support of Childcare Providers and Early Education.
Coincidently, exactly 46 years ago, I was hired to be a Day Care coordinator for Community Teamwork, with 60 children funded under the Social Services Block Grant and another 120 children in our Head Start Program. Our advocacy work to increase quality, raise salaries for staff, and provide affordable programs for parents began all those years ago and continues today as we educate and care for more than 1200 children.
Today we know the impact of high-quality programs on children’s ability to succeed in school and the impact childcare has on a family’s future. The COVID 19 pandemic laid bare the challenges and the great need for our services for children, their families, and employers. The soon to be opening Rita O'Brien-Dee Center for Behavioral Health and Development is one of our responses to the great challenge of mental health for children, staff, and families and the continued funding through C3 grants will help us provide this much needed programming.
After all these years working in this field, I am more optimistic about the future of Early Education and Care than I have ever been. We are making real progress. We know it will take all of us working together in a mixed delivery system to get to universal pre-kindergarten, adequate affordable childcare for all families, fair and equitable salaries, and a field that people aspire to work in. It is important work for the future of the Commonwealth.
For more information on the Governor's visit and our many other programs, please see below. As always, we thank you for your continued support and engagement in our mission. Together, we can continue to make a lasting impact on the lives of those we serve.
Gratefully,
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