HD 5248 — Best Practices: Enhance Early Education and Care Benefits (Communication from EOLWD)
Overview
HD 5248 is a proposed bill that formalizes the submission of a report titled “Best Practices: Enhance Early Education and Care Benefits” for Fiscal Year 2025. The report is a product of the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development (EOLWD) in collaboration with the Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) and the Executive Office of Economic Development (EOED). The bill was introduced on October 20, 2025 and placed on file.
Purpose and Statutory Basis
- The bill satisfies FY 2025 Budget requirements (Section 2, line item 3000-1049 and Section 183).
- It directs EOLWD, EEC, and EOED to conduct a study and prepare a report for filing with the clerks of the Senate and House, and the relevant Ways and Means and Education committees.
- The report must address employer engagement and child care as a workforce support, with emphasis on collaboration across state secretariats and public-private partnerships.
Key Provisions
- Study and Recommendations:
- Identify and promote employer best practices related to early education and care (EEC benefits for employees).
- Explore employer incentives to expand or enhance early education and care benefits.
- Examine state partnerships with the business community to support employees with young children.
- Consider ways to improve cross-secretariat collaboration to engage employers.
- Evaluate incentives or requirements for employers of certain sizes or subgroups to provide employer-supported child care benefits.
- Assess feasibility of funding expanded access to high-quality, affordable early education and care, potentially for all or selected employers.
- The Office must meeting with regionally diverse stakeholders before issuing recommendations.
- Pilot Program Progress Report:
- A separate report on the pilot program’s progress toward establishing the pilot in FY25, to be filed with the same legislative committees.
- Filing Requirements:
- Reports must be submitted to the clerks of the Senate and House, the Senate and House Ways and Means committees, and the Joint Committee on Education.
Who Is Affected
- State agencies: EOLWD, EEC, EOED, and related secretariats.
- Employers and the business community in Massachusetts, particularly those with young children in the workforce.
- Workers and families benefiting from employer-supported child care options.
- Legislators and state policy committees reviewing workforce development and education matters.
Timeline and Procedural Notes
- Introduction: October 20, 2025.
- Status: Placed on file (no immediate statutory enactment).
- Reports: One comprehensive study/report on best practices and potential incentives; a separate progress report on the FY25 pilot program.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Requires regionally diverse stakeholder input prior to final recommendations.
Context and Rationale
The bill reflects Massachusetts’ focus on child care as a critical workforce issue. It builds on a landscape of interagency collaboration and employer engagement (e.g., EO625 task force, business coalitions, and listening sessions) and acknowledges the economic costs of inadequate child care to employers, workers, and state revenues. The goal is to identify scalable practices and incentives that strengthen access to affordable, high-quality early education and care, thereby improving workforce participation and productivity.
