Maura Healey on Families & Children

	Maura Healey on Families & Children

Affordable childcare is growing in Massachusetts

People need childcare. After the pandemic, childcare across the country was collapsing and childcare centers were closing. So, we got to work, because our working parents depend on it. We were the only state to fully replace federal support that went away, with a $1.5 billion investment. We not only saved our system, but affordable childcare is growing in Massachusetts. Today 36,000 more children are getting care; and their parents can go to work and support their families. Source: 2025 State of the State Address: Massachusetts legislature , Jan 16, 2025

Going to get shovels in the ground and people in homes

For decades, we didn't build enough homes in this state. We're paying the price for that, now. There's not enough housing and it's too expensive. But we're changing that. This year, with the Affordable Homes Act in place, we're going to get shovels in the ground and people in homes. And we're going to do it together. So far, 116 towns have said "Yes" to more homes near transit through the MBTA Communities Law. That means thousands of new homes are in the pipeline. Source: 2025 State of the State Address: Massachusetts legislature , Jan 16, 2025

Gateway to Pre-K: universal preschool in Gateway Cities

Pre-K plan to save families money and transform early education in our state. First, we'll get direct help to thousands of families, by expanding eligibility for state financial assistance. In this program, childcare costs are capped based on what you can afford.

Next, we'll set a new goal for early education in Massachusetts. Let's have universal pre-K access for every 4-year-old in our state.

Let's have universal pre-K access for every 4-year-old in our state. By 2026, we will guarantee access to high-quality, affordable preschool for every 4-yearold in all 26 Gateway Cities.

That means a seat in a classroom for over 23,000 children. And we won't stop there.

We're going to keep working--with businesses, providers, and the champions of childcare in the Legislature and across the state. Together, we will expand access, lower costs, and meet this childcare challenge.

Source: 2024 State of the State Address to the Mass. legislature , Jan 17, 2024

Most generous child and dependent tax credit of any state

We now have the most generous child and dependent tax credit of any state in the country. And we got rid of the two-child cap! For someone like my mom, it would've meant an extra $2200 every year. Mom, I bet you could've used that money. Source: 2024 State of the State Address to the Mass. legislature , Jan 17, 2024

Common Start: free child care for lowest-income families

As Governor, she will continue to advocate for federal funding for early education and care, as well as explore state solutions to the child care crisis. Maura supports the Common Start proposal, which would make child care free for the lowest-income families, limit child care costs for most families to no more than 7 percent of their income, and significantly increase pay for early educators to address the workforce crisis in the early education field. Source: 2022 Massachusetts Governor campaign website MauraHealey.com , Jun 7, 2022

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*Other governors on Families & Children:*			*Maura Healey on other issues:*
*MA Gubernatorial:* Ben Downing Danielle Allen Geoff Diehl Mike Kennealy Sonia Chang-Diaz *MA Senatorial:* Ed Markey Elizabeth Warren John Deaton Seth Moulton Shiva Ayyadurai	*Mayoral/Gubernatorial races 2025* (seated Jan. 2026): NJ Governor: Mikie Sherrill (D), U.S. Rep. NJ-11. vs.Jack Ciattarelli (R), State Assemblyman (2011-2018). NYC Mayor: Zohran Mamdani (D), New York State Assembly, 2021-2025. vs.Andrew Cuomo (I), former governor of New York, 2011-2021. vs.Curtis Sliwa (R), CEO of the Guardian Angels. VA Governor: Abigail Spanberger (D), U.S.Rep., VA-7 (2019-2024). vs.Winsome Earle-Sears (R), Lt. Gov. 2022-2026. *Gubernatorial races 2026*: AK: Mike Dunleavy(R,term-limited) vs.Click Bishop(R) vs.Nancy Dahlstrom(R) vs.Tom Begich(D) AL: Kay Ivey(R,term-limited) vs.Doug Jones(D) vs.Tommy Tuberville(R) vs.Will Boyd(D) vs.Yolanda Flowers(D) AR: Sarah Huckabee Sanders(R,for re-election) vs.Fredrick Love(D) AZ: Katie Hobbs(D,for re-election) vs.Andy Biggs(R) vs.David Schweikert(R) vs.~~Karrin Taylor Robson~~(R,withdrew) CA: Gavin Newsom(D,term-limited) vs.Antonio Villaraigosa(D) vs.~~Eleni Kounalakis~~(D,Withdrew to run for state treasurer) vs.Eric Swalwell(D) vs.Tom Steyer(D) vs.Xavier Becerra(D) vs.Zoltan Istvan(L) CO: Jared Polis(D,term-limited) vs.Greg Lopez(R) vs.Michael Bennet(D) vs.Phil Weiser(D) CT: Ned Lamont(D,for re-election) vs.Ryan Fazio(R) vs.~~Jen Tooker~~(R,withdrew) FL: Ron DeSantis(R,term-limited) vs.Byron Donalds(R) vs.David Jolly(R) vs.Jason Pizzo(I) vs.Jerry Demings(D) GA: Brian Kemp(R,term-limited) vs.Brad Raffensperger(R) vs.Chris Carr(R) vs.Keisha Lance Bottoms(D) HI: Josh Green(D) (No opponent yet) IA: Kim Reynolds(R,retiring) vs.Brad Sherman (IA)(R) vs.Randy Feenstra(R) vs.Rob Sand(D) ID: Brad Little(R,for re-election) vs.Terri Pickens(D) IL: J.B. Pritzker(D,for re-election) vs.Darren Bailey(R) KS: Laura Kelly(D,term-limited) vs.Cindy Holscher(D) vs.Jeff Colyer(R) vs.Ty Masterson(R) vs.Vicki Schmidt(R) MA: Maura Healey(D,for re-election) vs.Mike Kennealy(R) MD: Wes Moore(D,for re-election) vs.Dan Cox(R) vs.Christopher Bouchat(R) ME: Janet Mills(D,term-limited) vs.Shenna Bellows(D) vs.Ed Crockett(I) vs.Robert Charles(R)	*Gubernatorial races 2026*: MI: Gretchen Whitmer(D,term-limited) vs.Aric Nesbitt(R) vs.Perry Johnson(R) vs.Jocelyn Benson(D) vs.John James(R) vs.Mike Cox(R) vs.Tom Leonard(R) vs.Mike Duggan(I) vs.~~Garlin Gilchrist~~(D,withdrew) MN: Tim Walz(D,retiring) vs.Jeff Johnson 2026(R) vs.Lisa Demuth(R) vs.Mike Lindell(R) vs.Scott Jensen(R) vs.Amy Klobuchar(D) NE: Jim Pillen(R,for re-election) vs.Lynne Walz(D) NH: Kelly Ayotte(R,for re-election) vs.Jon Kiper(D) NM: Michelle Lujan-Grisham(D,term-limited) vs.Deb Haaland(D) vs.Gregg Hull(R) vs.Steve Lanier(R) NV: Joe Lombardo(R) vs.Aaron Ford(D) NY: Kathy Hochul(D,for re-election) vs.Bruce Blakeman(R) vs.Larry Sharpe(L) vs.~~Antonio Delgado~~(D,withdrew) vs.~~Elise Stefanik~~(R,withdrew) OH: Mike DeWine(R,term-limited) vs.Vivek Ramaswamy(R) vs.Amy Acton(D) OK: Kevin Stitt(R,term-limited) vs.Charles McCall(R) vs.Cyndi Munson(D) vs.Jake Merrick(R) OR: Tina Kotek(D,for re-election) vs.Christine Drazan(R) PA: Josh Shapiro(D,for re-election) vs.Ken Krawchuk(L) vs.Stacy Garrity(R) RI: Dan McKee(D,for re-election) vs.Helena Foulkes(D) vs.Aaron Guckian(R) SC: Henry McMaster(R,term-limited) vs.Jermaine Johnson(D) vs.Nancy Mace(R) vs.Ralph Norman(R) SD: Larry Rhoden(R,for re-election) vs.Dusty Johnson(R) vs.Jon Hansen(R) vs.~~Marty Jackley~~(R,withdrew) TN: Bill Lee(R,term-limited) vs.Marsha Blackburn(R) vs.Carnita Atwater(D) TX: Greg Abbott(R,for re-election) vs.Chris Bell(D) vs.Gina Hinojosa(D) VT: Phil Scott(R) (No opponent yet) WI: Tony Evers(D,retiring) vs.Mandela Barnes(D) vs.Sara Rodriguez(D) vs.Kelda Roys(D) vs.Francesca Hong(D) vs.Tom Tiffany(R) WY: Mark Gordon(R,term-limited) vs.Eric Barlow(R) vs.Megan Degenfelder(R)	Abortion Budget/Economy Civil Rights Corporations Crime Drugs Education Energy/Oil Environment Families/Children Foreign Policy Free Trade Govt. Reform Gun Control Health Care Homeland Security Immigration Infrastructure/Technology Jobs Local Issues Principles/Values Social Security Tax Reform War/Iraq/Mideast Welfare/Poverty [Title9]