Senate Bill 28 (SB-28) — Family Child Care Providers Will Have a Strong Voice for Quality Care
4,400 Massachusetts family providers care for children in their own homes as part of the state child care voucher program. Currently, family child care providers are not covered by labor law.
SB-28 would grant family child care providers a voice for quality care and learning, and give them the ability to choose a union and to meet with the state over issues affecting their work with the voucher program
SB-28 would give providers the ability to negotiate over training, payment procedures, rates, and other conditions that improve children’s care and learning.
This Act does not make family child care proviers state employees. They would not be eligible for state employee health and pension benefits, and would not have the right to strike.
Seven other legislatures—Illinois, Washington, Oregon, Maryland, Wisconsin, New Mexico, and Maine—have granted family child care providers collective bargaining rights. Bargaining has focused on stabilizing the profession through sustainable rates and improved access to training and professional development
The Act does not require any state expenditure
Massachusetts providers are eager to work with state agencies to identify cost savings that could be redirected to stabilizing the workforce through training incentives.
Front-line providers have identified many no-cost items that would streamline state procedures, reduce the paperwork burden, and allow them to concentrate on care for children. These reforms would encourage and retain experience providers.
The legislation postpones negotiations on voucher rates and payments until July 2012, and contract funding would be subject to legislative appropriation.
