Neighborhood Villages Commends Early Education Funding in Senate FY26 State Budget

Final Senate FY26 Budget Includes $1.7 Billion For Early Education and Care

BOSTON, MA (May 22, 2025) - Neighborhood Villages – a Boston-based nonprofit that advocates for solutions to the greatest challenges faced by the early education sector – commends the passage of the $61.4 billion fiscal 2026 state budget proposed by the Massachusetts State Senate that commits over $1.7 billion to early education and care, including $475 million for the Commonwealth Cares for Children (C3) grant program.

It also includes more than $1 billion for the Child Care Financial Assistance program (CCFA) and $5 million for mental health services. 

Lauren Kennedy, co-president of Neighborhood Villages, issued the following statement:

“At Neighborhood Villages, we are committed to continuing to build toward a child care system that meets the needs of all children and families. We are grateful that our partners in the Legislature recognize the critical importance of investing in early education, especially in a time when federal funding for early learning programs is significantly at risk.

We commend the Senate for their ongoing commitment to safeguarding the Massachusetts early childhood education system. We look forward to collaborating with both Senate and House leaders to advance early education and child care funding, dedicate increased fair share funds to early education, and continue to increase direct investments in our youngest learners, educators, and families.

Massachusetts children and the educators who care for them deserve the resources required to transform the Commonwealth’s child care sector into an equitable, accessible, and high-quality system. By prioritizing early education and care funding, we are taking the necessary steps to create a future where all families in Massachusetts can succeed.”

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