Photo: Huong Vu for Strategies for Children

The results are in!

A new statewide poll sponsored by the Common Start Coalition has found that “73 percent of the state’s voters” back “the Common Start proposal to create a universal childcare program in Massachusetts.” Only 18 percent of respondents oppose the idea.

“Support is up nearly 10 points from two years ago, when the corresponding margin on this question was 64%-23%,” according to a memo from Beacon Research, the organization that conducted the poll.

The poll was conducted last month and surveyed 817 Massachusetts voters.

Most of these voters acknowledge three facts that are driving “the push to create a universal childcare program:”

• too many families can’t afford the high cost of child care

• child care workers are significantly underpaid, and

• state government should play a role in addressing these challenges

The poll also found that 58 percent of respondents favor “increasing taxpayer funding for childcare programs in Massachusetts,” a jump up from two years ago when 48 percent of respondents supported this idea.

In reporting on this expanded support, news station WWLP notes: 

“Andrew Farniatno, a spokesperson for the coalition, pointed to that increase as one of the most significant findings this time around, describing it as a sign of momentum as advocates make their case for change.

“ ‘It’s easy for voters to say they support something,’ Farnitano said in an interview. ‘It’s a higher bar for them to say they think their taxpayer dollars should go to a spending area, and it’s a really strong sign of the deep well of voter support that 58 percent of voters believe more taxpayer funding should go to child care programs in the state.’ ”

One factor in the growing support for universal child care is probably the pandemic, which forced the public to recognize how important child care is to families and the economy. As the WWLP story explains: 

“The COVID-19 pandemic thrust the early education and care sector into uncertainty, forcing programs to close and then adopt new health protocols to minimize transmission risks. It also exacerbated long-standing financial challenges many providers face and the difficulty families experience trying to find affordable and available slots.

“A lack of childcare options created spillover effects for families and employers. Many parents, especially women, left the workforce to focus on caring for their children, contributing to an ongoing economy-wide struggle to attract employees.”

Please share these poll results with your professional networks and encourage everyone to share these findings with their elected officials.

Families, early educators, businesses, and most voters all agree: Now is the time to make meaningful progress on building a universal child care system in Massachusetts.