Baker-Polito Administration Awards $3.9 Million to Improve Facilities for Early Education and Out-of-School Time Programs

Grants support construction and renovation projects at child care and after-school programs

BOSTON — The Baker-Polito Administration on Aug 11th, awarded $3.9 million in Early Education and Out-of-School Time (EEOST) capital improvement grants to 17 organizations to renovate child care facilities that serve primarily low-income families. These capital grants support major renovations and construction projects at early education and out-of-school time facilities to expand capacity and improve the quality of learning environments for children in Massachusetts. 

The Early Education and Out-of-School Time capital improvement grants are financed through the state's capital budget and leverage private investments with matching funds, with more than $200 million in public and private funds invested since the grant program began in 2013. The Baker-Polito Administration's Fiscal Year 2022 Capital Budget Plan included funding for the EEOST grant program, which is administered through a partnership between the Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) and the Children’s Investment Fund (CIF), an affiliate of the Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation (CEDAC).
 
EEOST grants were designed to support expansion and facility improvements at early education and out-of-school time programs to ensure that children have safe and developmentally appropriate spaces to learn and play. Approximately 80 percent of the children in EEOST-funded programs are from low-income families. 
 
"Our administration is proud to make significant investments to renovate, repair, and expand child care facilities across the Commonwealth so children have quality learning environments,” said Governor Charlie Baker. "This critically important funding makes it possible for families to work while their children are cared for in nurturing and safe child care and after-school programs.”
 
“We are committed to supporting child care providers across the Commonwealth who have worked tirelessly to care for children and support Massachusetts’ families,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “We know that investments in early education and care settings are vital for children and families through providing high-quality early childhood education and out-of-school time programs in enriching and engaging settings.”
 
“Investments in childcare facilities are an effective means of strengthening the early education and care system, in order to ensure high quality and sufficient capacity to meet the needs of working parents and employers,” said Education Secretary James Peyser.
 
“It is a critical time to invest in our early education and care programs,” said Early Education and Care Acting Commissioner Amy Kershaw. “These investments will not only help ensure our children, and their teachers, spend time in high-quality and dynamic learning environments, but will also support essential capacity at programs across the Commonwealth so that more families can go to or return to work." 

“All children deserve to learn in safe and enriching environments and their teachers deserve well-equipped spaces to facilitate learning," said Theresa Jordan, Director of Children's Investment Fund at CEDAC.  "The EEOST Capital Fund is creating those environments across the Commonwealth and leveraging additional resources in support of high-quality early childhood education and out-of-school time care."

All EEC-licensed programs receiving an EEOST grant award serve publicly subsidized families and have demonstrated financial need. All the grantees are non-profit corporations or organizations in which a non-profit corporation has a controlling interest.

The following non-profit organizations received grants:

The mission of the Department of Early Education and Care is to support the healthy growth and development of all children by providing high-quality programs and resources for families and communities.