Workforce
May 19, 2025
Massachusetts wants to lead the way in delivering high quality early education and childcare. And Governor Maura Healey took a big step when she signed Executive Order 625 to establish the Interagency Early Education and Child Care Task Force last year. The Task Force is part of the Healey-Driscoll...
April 15, 2025
Children can’t wait. We can’t let families languish on the wait list for 18 months and counting. In Worcester this week, 1,069 children 0-5 years of age sit on the wait list; 46 of those children are those of early educators who can’t work without support for the cost of care. Let’s invest in...
March 17, 2025
Early childhood program directors proudly serve and support teachers, children, and families in Worcester and its surrounding communities. While rewarding, the work is often draining and isolating as directors are responsible for running the complete program, and the challenges of funding, teacher...
February 23, 2025
There has been modest growth in capacity and state investments have made a difference. Still, issues with accessibility and affordability persist. And its on everyone's mind from early education and care programs and providers and families, to Mayor Petty and state leadership.
September 19, 2024
Growing up, when I was asked what I wanted to do when I was older, I always responded with “I want to help others.” I was unsure what this would look like in action, but in my freshman year at College of the Holy Cross, I reached some clarity. I realized I was interested in psychology and wanted to...
July 24, 2024
The first years of a child's life are crucial for their long-term physical, social, and emotional development. Exposing a child to positive experiences and environments and stable, caring, and interactive relationships with adults sets them up for success as they grow. With community resources,...
July 11, 2024
Some say it takes a village to raise a child. In Worcester and its surrounding communities, parents, care providers, and community leaders play important roles in early childhood learning and development. They often work together to support children in the first few years of life. Yet, doing so has...
January 18, 2024
“Covid gave us a bit of a gift. We had to cooperate and operate outside of silos to figure out how support and success could be achieved. It gave us this whole new level of permission,” Kim Davenport, vice president of Initiatives & Aligned Programs at Edward Street, says. “The question became...
January 12, 2024
We previously profiled Project Flourish , a program developed by the Family Services of Central Massachusetts. The apprenticeship program, backed with fundraising and support from Edward Street, was designed to help current and aspiring educators accomplish their career goals, earn necessary...
November 30, 2023
For 140 years, we have advocated for quality early education and care in the community. Looking back, three issues persist. In fact, they are almost the same. Why is it, 140 years later, that we are still fighting the same battles? Why don’t these problems have solutions? Our board members...
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