Facts In Action

Family child care is an important source of early education and care for Massachusetts' children and families. Yet, family child care is often caught up in the debate about what type of early childhood program qualifies as "care" and which as "education." Increasingly, child development research shows that early childhood education is about an experience and not a setting. Regardless of the setting, to be successfully prepared for school children need a well-trained and responsive provider, developmentally appropriate curriculum and positive social interactions.

Universal preschool initiatives are currently underway in several states. Few, however, have made a commitment to including family child care. Massachusetts is positioned to be a national pioneer with pending legislation that ensures the essential role of family child care in a system of universal, high-quality early childhood education.

An Act establishing Early Education for All (H.1838 / S.239) was filed at the Massachusetts State House on December 4, 2002 by lead sponsors Representative Peter Larkin and Senator Fred Berry, along with 109 other members of the Legislature. The bill specifically calls for high-quality early childhood education to be made universally accessible through the existing mixed system of public and private programs, including public schools, child care centers, Head Start programs and family child care homes. Participation in the EEA program would be voluntary for both providers and for families.

Beginning in the winter of 2000, the Early Education for All Campaign began an extensive community outreach process to solicit recommendations on how to best meet the early education needs of children across Massachusetts. Working in partnership with local community leaders and organizations, the Campaign gathered input from a diverse group of early childhood stakeholders into the legislative proposal. The Campaign also met with several family child care associations from different parts of the state and convened a working group of family child care leaders to help ensure that the legislative proposal is as inclusive as possible of the essential role of family child care providers in delivering high-quality early childhood education.

As a result of this process, the bill contains specific language to ensure that family child care is successfully included in any system of universal early childhood education that Massachusetts state government may create as a result of the legislation's passage. The legislation calls for:

• A high-quality program standard to be developed that is appropriate for both center-based and home-based settings;
• Both independent and system-affiliated family child care to be eligible providers;
• Higher education institutions and community training efforts to develop a range of courses that are designed for family child care providers and to offer classes on days and at times that allow family child care providers to attend and
• The necessary financial resources and other supports to be put in place to enable providers to pursue continuing and/or higher education.

An Act establishing Early Education for All (H.1838 / S.239) has been referred to the Committee on Education, Arts and Humanities and a hearing is scheduled for October 21, 2003 at the State House.

To learn more about the Campaign and the legislative proposal, visit www.earlyeducationforall.org. Editor's note: This url has changed: http://www.strategiesforchildren.org/eea/eea_home.htm

Facts in Action, September/October 2003