Mayor Wu Announces the City’s Investment in Childcare
/We were honored to host Mayor Michelle Wu at our Boston site on Wednesday, July 6, 2022, to announce the City of Boston’s $20 million investment to improve childcare and expand Boston's Universal Pre-K Program. “We’re working to make Boston the most family-friendly city in the country,” shared Mayor Wu. This investment will open more pre-kindergarten classrooms for 3 year olds this September including an additional classroom at BCNC. After decades of providing dual language early education through center-based and home-based centers, in 2019 BCNC opened its first UPK classroom. Starting September, BCNC will have 3 UPK classrooms for 3 and 4 year-olds. Special thanks to Boston Public Schools and BPS Early Learning for their partnerships.
Boston to spend $20 million to expand pre-K program, Boston Globe, July 6, 2022
Preschool could become more affordable, MassLive, July 6, 2022
BCNC CEO, Ben Hires, and Director of Acorn Center for Early Education and Care, Kathy Cheng, joined Boston leadership to speak about the importance of high-quality childcare. Universal Pre-K Director, TeeAra Dias, Director of the Office of Early Childhood, Kristin McSwain, and Family Child Care provider, Jenny Vicente de Soto, shared about the impact of universal pre-K. Listen to the full press conference here.
BCNC Director of Acorn Center for Early Education and Care, Kathy Cheng shares, “Many families express gratitude that they will save over $13,000 per year. By expanding to providing before and after care as well, families do not need to stress and worry about childcare, while trying to keep their work schedules. Maintaining their home language of Chinese while acquiring English is very important to Asian immigrant families. With this funding and the consistent support from the UPK team, we are able to retain teachers with competitive wages, build a strong professional development track, and provide rich learning classroom materials.”
Photo credit: City of Boston
