Strategies for Children has led and supported efforts that resulted in:
- Historic FY23 state budget investments: $1.16 billion EEC budget (a 45% increase over FY22), plus a new $175 million High-Quality Early Education & Care Affordability Fund. Economic Development bill signed into law providing an additional $150 million for C3 Stabilization Grants, and $315 million for the Affordability Fund.
- Special Legislative Economic Review Commission for Early Education and Care report (March 2022). This major legislative report has been a policy framework for all budget and legislative proposals since its release.
- COVID-19 pandemic relief for the child care sector. Historic FY21 and FY22 state budgets with
a combined $296 million increase over FY20 spending levels.
- Federal pandemic relief for early education and care in Massachusetts: $46 million in CARES Act, $130 million in December, 2020 COVID Relief Bill, and $510 million in the American Rescue Plan.
- Massachusetts awarded $15 million federal Preschool Expansion Grant (PEG) in December 2014. PEG program served 3,200 4-year-olds in five cities over a four-year period.
- State-funded preschool expansion. Planning grants supported 18 high-needs communities' strategic plans from FY16-FY18. These communities are home to 28% of the state's preschool-age children. Commonwealth Preschool Partnership Initiative providing implementation grants to nine communities from FY19-FY21.
- Historic $38.5 million investment in the early education and care workforce in 2017.
- Eight consecutive years of post-recession state budget increases for early education and care,
$346 million from FY14-FY21.
- Enactment of An Act Relative to Third Grade Reading Proficiency in 2012.
- Creation of nation’s first statewide Third Grade Reading Proficiency Learning Network in 2012.
- Creation of the policy foundation for Massachusetts’ $50 million federal Early Learning Challenge grant in December 2011.
- Creation of the Universal Pre-Kindergarten grant in FY07, and cumulative funding of $78 million over a 10-year period.
- Creation and cumulative funding of $50 million for the Early Childhood Educators Scholarship Program.
- Enactment of An Act Relative to Early Education and Care in 2008, creating universal pre-Kindergarten in statute and outlining the responsibilities of the Board, Department, and Commissioner of Early Education and Care.
- Creation of the nation’s first consolidated Department of Early Education and Care in FY06.
- Tripling of the percentage of children in full-day kindergarten since 2000 to 96% today.
DONATE: SFC is supported by local, regional and national foundations and philanthropies. We also value contributions by indiviual donors to further our mission. Learn more about donating to our efforts. |
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ACHIEVEMENTS
- Built a broad-based constituency on behalf of young children and families, including grass-tops and grass-roots leaders in business, labor, policymaking, early childhood, K-12 education, higher education, and philanthropy. Maintain 7,000 constituent emails, 18,000 Twitter followers, and 3,000 Facebook followers.
- Provide technical assistance and public speaking. SFC staff members are sought-after speakers at state, regional and national meetings and guest lecturers at area universities. SFC has provided technical assistance to philanthropic and advocacy groups in more than 26 states. Its leaders have been invited to testify at legislative hearings in other states, including Connecticut and Michigan. Its work has generated interest from the National Governors Association, Education Commission of the States, National Conference of State Legislators and others.
- Publish the nationally recognized Eye on Early Education blog, with more than 850,000 page views since launching in 2010.
- Launched a new generation of leaders for children and families through a robust internship program whose graduates have secured positions of responsibility in such organizations as Nurtury, EDC, Fight Crime invest in Kids, the Ounce of Prevention Fund, and state education agencies.
- Winner of 2014 Excellence in Advocacy award from the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network.
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