Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler explains state’s goals for available and affordable childcare

Date: May 2, 2024

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DANVERS – Nearly 100 guests gathered at Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical School on Wednesday, May 1, for a hearty breakfast and informative presentation by the Massachusetts Secretary of Education Patrick Tutwiler.

Dr. Tutwiler directs the Executive Office of Education, which oversees early education, K-12, and higher education. Secretary Tutwiler sits on each of the boards governing the Commonwealth’s education agencies, as well as the University of Massachusetts system. He is Governor Maura Healey’s top advisor on education and helps shape the Commonwealth’s education agenda. Expanding childcare options and early education has been a top priority for Gov. Healey, as seen by the new early education bill that was recently passed.

Recognizing that Massachusetts has some of the highest childcare costs in the entire country, the Commonwealth is focused on “stabilizing and healing” the sector, Tutwiler said. The administration committed $475 billion state dollars to continue the Commonwealth Cares for Children (C3 program), which means continued funding at the same federal level during the pandemic. 

This program resulted in a 7 percent increase in childcare programs, he said, adding more than 10,600 slots across the Commonwealth. The funding also provides grants that providers can use to increase pay for their staff and to offset operational costs, with the expectation that cost increases will not need to be passed on to families and in some cases, family costs can be reduced.

“The Commonwealth’s early education system has rebounded since the pandemic and now exceeds pre-pandemic license capacity – the only state in the country to do so,” he said. “This is something to celebrate.”

Secretary Tutwiler added, “We know we still have a lot of work to do,” and detailed a few goals for the coming years. These included continuing the C3 Program and taking it even further. Part of the agenda, “Gateway to Pre-K,” has a goal to achieve universal free or low-cost pre-k access for every 4-year-old in gateway communities by 2026.

“We want every 4-year-old to have access to affordable, high-quality pre-K and we are starting with our gateway communities,” he said.

A gateway community is any city with a population of 35,000 to 250,000, a median household income and per capita income below the statewide average, and an educational level of bachelor’s degree or higher that is below the state average. According to Tutwiler, achieving this goal will be a benchmark in the ultimate hope of bringing this access across the entire Commonwealth.

Seven additional districts were recently added to the Commonwealth Preschool Partnership initiative, which is the vehicle for attaining universal pre-k access. Currently, 17 of the 26 gateway communities are participating in the initiative.

The presentation was followed by a lively and informative discussion with many questions from the audience.


The Chamber thanks its Title Sponsors — the YMCA of Metro North and Primrose School of Danvers, and Supporting Sponsors — The Children’s Center for Communication/Beverly School for the Deaf, North Shore Community College, and Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical School.