Rate increase will benefit thousands of in-home family childcare providers across the Commonwealth.
BOSTON – SEIU Local 509 and the Baker-Polito Administration have agreed to a historic 10% rate increase for in-home family child care providers licensed by the Department of Early Education and Care (EEC). This is the fourth contract negotiated between SEIU 509 and the Commonwealth and represents the largest pay bump for providers to date.
“Child care providers are the backbone of our economy,” said Peter MacKinnon, President of SEIU Local 509. “Affordable, accessible child care must be one of our state’s highest priorities. This record-breaking agreement demonstrates a clear commitment by SEIU Local 509 and the Commonwealth to invest in our children’s futures and support the workers that help them thrive. That investment begins with paying every child care provider a true living wage.”
SEIU Local 509 represents roughly 2,400 child care providers who care for children and families who receive childcare subsidies from the State of Massachusetts. Most families who receive a state subsidy live at or below 50% of the state’s median income.
“This package of investments builds on the continued effort to increase the purchasing power of low-income families, while also serving as an important stabilizer for the programs participating in our subsidy system as they continue to grapple with economic challenges,” said Early Education and Care Acting Commissioner Kershaw. “EEC will be working diligently in the months ahead to ensure the rate increases are implemented to further support the families and programs we serve.”
Over the last several years, recruitment and retention of family child care providers has trended downward. With inflation impacting the cost of utilities and food and cleaning products – and housing prices on the rise – many providers face an existential threat to their businesses. The COVID-19 pandemic only exacerbated this issue by forcing providers to make an impossible choice: open their doors and risk exposure to a deadly virus or shutter their business entirely.
“The COVID-19 pandemic nearly broke our industry, but we persevered,” said Celina Reyes, a Lawrence-based family child care provider and SEIU 509 union leader. “Like every other educator, our job is to provide the best quality care and education we possibly can. We can only give ourselves fully to our work when we aren’t worried about our next paycheck or heating bill. This investment brings us one step closer to parity for early educators.”
Funded by the FY 2023 state budget, the rate increases will be retroactive to July 1, 2022. During the past eight years, the Baker-Polito Administration, in coordination with the Legislature, has invested more than $250 million to increase rates for early education and care providers that accept state subsidies. The Legislature has recently approved an additional $150 million in the economic development bill towards child care stabilization grants, supported by federal COVID relief funds. To date, that grant program has provided $533.8 million.
About SEIU Local 509:
SEIU Local 509 represents nearly 20,000 human service workers and educators throughout Massachusetts. We provide a variety of social services to elders, at-risk children and people with mental illnesses or developmental disabilities — as well as educational services in both public and private sector settings. SEIU Local 509 currently represents graduate student workers at Brandeis and Tufts, as well as adjunct faculty and lecturers at Boston University.
