This Mother’s Day, I’m reminded of the sacrifices and hard work my mom put in raising me and my four siblings on her own for many years.

I know that my family’s experience isn’t unique. Across our Commonwealth, I’ve heard stories from far too many people about their struggles to find affordable and accessible child care. If you agree that this should be a top priority for our next Governor, will you sign on in support of affordable and accessible child care?

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Earlier this week, I was lucky to spend time with the educators (and kids!) over at the Ellis Early Childhood Education and Childcare Center. They shared stories from the pandemic about burnout and former colleagues who left teaching because they needed higher wages to support their families.

Those departures led to a ripple effect of fewer available childcare slots, higher care costs, and more and more women having to leave the workforce to care for their kids.

Those changes also made clear something that working families and single parents, especially women, have known for a long time: our early childhood education and care system is too expensive and too inaccessible.

Stories like these are manifesting into a movement for real change, and we’re proud to be part of that movement. Here in Massachusetts we’ve introduced Common Start legislation, which would:

• Make child care free for the lowest-income families.
• Limit child care costs for most families to no more than 7% of their income.
• Increase pay for early childhood educators.

This is just the beginning of what we can, and must, do. If you agree, will you add your name in support?

Thanks so much,

Maura

 

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