Last Friday, Governor Deval Patrick signed the fiscal year 2015 state budget into law. The $36.5 billion FY15 budget includes significant increases for early education and care, including:

• $15 million in new spending for serving approximately 1,700 children currently on the state’s Income Eligible waiting list;
• $6.57 million rate reserve for early educator salaries and benefits;
• New $1 million pre-k classroom grant program; and
• $1 million increase for Head Start programs.

In addition, the budget level funds core quality support programs including Universal Pre-K grants, Full-Day Kindergarten, and the Early Childhood Educator Scholarship.

This budget represents the largest overall funding increase for early education since 2008 and the second consecutive year of increases.

Massachusetts readers: Please take a minute to contact Governor Patrick and your state legislators, and thank them for prioritizing early education in FY15.

The FY15 budget is another step in the right direction, but additional resources will be needed to achieve universal access to high-quality early education and care in Massachusetts. Stay tuned for more policy and advocacy opportunities in the months ahead, and sign up today to receive news and updates from Strategies for Children and the Early Education for All campaign.

Visit our website for a complete listing of early education and care line items in the state budget, or contact Titus DosRemedios at tdosremedios@strategiesforchildren.org for more information.