In July 2021, the Massachusetts Legislature allocated $418 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA) funds to create the Commonwealth Cares for Children (C3) Grants, a program to ameloriate the financial burdens that early education and care providers faced during the pandemic. Administered by the Department of Early Education and Care, the non-competitive monthly grants support licensed early education and care providers’ day-to-day operational and workforce costs.
C3 Grants can be used for personnel costs, benefits, stipends, and other supports for recruitment and retention; professional development; supplies, and classroom materials; and rent or mortgage payments, utilities, facilities maintenance and improvements, or insurance.
In FY2023, C3 Grants were funded using $468 million in both federal and state resources; in FY2024, with federal relief funding no longer available, the program was funded using $475 million in state general funds and funds from the Early Education and Care Trust Fund. In FY2025, the governor committed to fund C3 at $475 million, using general funds, the remaining amount in the EEC Trust Fund, and income surtax resources.
Sources:
Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care. (n.d.). Commonwealth Cares for Children (C3) Grants.
Bergeron, V. (n.d.). Importance of C3 Continuation for the Commonwealth. Massachusetts Taxpayers Association.
Reale, H. (2024, July 24). Mass. lawmakers step up child care funding with $1.5 billion proposal. GBH.
Connections to Key Early Learning Study at Harvard (ELS@H) Findings:
The early education workforce is the foundation upon which all daily work and any expansion and quality improvement efforts rest. Research suggests that states and cities should invest in the workforce across all early education setting types, focusing on enhancing educators’ professional learning, compensation, and workplace conditions.
Findings from the Early Learning Study at Harvard (ELS@H) show:
- Early educators play a critical role in supporting the well-being of young children and families across setting types.
- Yet their pay, benefits, and other professional supports are often inadequate in light of the job demands and their cost of living.