On Wednesday, April 29, the Massachusetts House of Representatives voted unanimously to pass a $38.1 billion budget for fiscal year 2016.

The final House budget funds the Department of Early Education and Care and its programs at $539.41 million, a $10 million increase over Governor Baker's budget proposal. In addition, the House budget provides a $5 million Rate Reserve for early educator salaries, benefits and professional development, and a restoration of the full-day kindergarten grant program at $18.59 million, the current FY15 funding level. Visit our website for a complete listing of early education and care line items and how they are funded across different budget proposals.

This legislative session, several bills have been filed to expand high-quality Pre-K offerings in the commonwealth. One of these—“An Act Ensuring High Quality Pre-Kindergarten Education”— calls on Massachusetts to follow New Jersey’s example by providing “access to high-quality pre-kindergarten programs for 3-and 4-year-olds living in underperforming school districts.” The bill’s lead sponsors are Representative Alice Peisch and Senator Sal DiDomenico.

A corresponding Pre-K for MA campaign was launched at the State House on March 31 and featured remarks from legislators, superintendents, community based providers and parents. Led by Strategies for Children and Stand for Children, this campaign has generated several press stories, op-eds, and favorable editorials. Stay tuned in the months ahead as Pre-K legislation continues to gain momentum.

“We must set children up to do well in the classroom and beyond,” a new Strategies for Children policy brief explains, adding that it is crucial, “to invest in early education and care programs that will promote social-emotional skill development…”

Written by Sophie Barnes, who is enrolled in the Child Advocacy strand of the Human Development and Psychology program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, the brief adds: “Research shows that high-quality early education and care has many benefits. Chief among these is the impact on young children’s social-emotional development, which may be as important or more so than traditional pre-academic skill development (e.g., number and letter recognition).”

This research comes at a critical time for state policy. On April 14, 2015, the Board of the Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) voted and approved the Preschool and Kindergarten Standards for Social and Emotional Learning. EEC previously engaged in a process of public feedback and revisions. Next steps include review by the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Education, Senate and House Ways and Means, for at least sixty (60) days prior to anticipated implementation.