Fighting For Access and Quality: from Early Education to Job Readiness

Jan

As another legislative session begins, Rep. Forry has rolled out legislation to improve access to quality education and advance skill development opportunities for Massachusetts residents. She has filed several bills this session to ensure Massachusetts remains well-positioned to meet the needs of our future economy by securing a talent pipeline through safe, quality early education and targeted workforce development strategies.

HD3025 An Act to Secure Child Safety in Family Child Care Systems will create stronger protection and protocols within the early home childcare certification process by ensuring check-ins are conducted throughout the year and licensure is dependent upon compliance. To the extent allowable, the Department of Early Education and Care (DEEC) conducts interim site visits to programs annually as well as monitoring visits when warranted. The bill will require that all child care homes be subjected to quarterly check-ins to make sure that all members of the household and frequent visitors are identified, and that the home is in safe condition. “We must make sure that we are not only providing our children with quality early education but also a safe environment in which to learn,” stated Rep. Forry. The second key bill Rep. Forry has filed, HD1273 An Act Creating an Earned Income Tax Credit for Early Educators , will improve the quality of early childcare and education by increasing the affordability of owning and operating such a business through a tax credit program, mirroring the existing federal EITC program, thereby encouraging more qualified candidates to enter and remain in the field. “This bill will improve the continuity and quality of care for our young children by establishing greater financial stability for early educators.”

As we secure a strong foundation for our young students, Rep. Forry understands it is simultaneously critical to afford our high school graduates with access to higher education. She has co-filed with Representative Provost HD3385 An Act to Establish Tuition Equity for High School Graduates in the Commonwealth to ensure that students, who attend high school in the Commonwealth for three or more years, graduate and are accepted into our public universities, have the ability to complete their education. “This is critical in meeting our workforce development needs and in generating revenue for the state,” said Rep. Forry. “As the House Chair of the Joint Committee on Community Development and Small Business, I know how intimately tied our success in education is to economic growth and vitality throughout the state. Connecting residents to the resources they need and providing opportunities for educational attainment produces not just a higher quality life but also incredible economic results.”

To accomplish these goals, Rep. Forry has filed HD 1283 An Act to Improve the Educational Rewards Grant Program to Assist Low Income Workers. This bill would reinvest state funds in the Educational Rewards Grant, which is currently exhausted, so that low-income students can continue to enroll in and successfully complete training leading to identified high-demand jobs. Specifically, the bill would preserve the only state grant available to low-income students, enrolled in college less than part time or participating in a non-degree program. Eligible students may receive up to $3,000 per academic year. Additionally, Rep. Forry filed HD 1270 An Act to Promote Financial Stability and Asset Development, which will strengthen the employment services program within the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) by allowing recipients to fulfill their entire work requirement through educational programs and workforce training, doubling the current educational time allocation. “It is critical that our programs support individuals moving towards self-sufficiency and education is vital to their success,” said Rep. Forry. “Low-to-moderate income families often face substantial barriers to maintaining modest savings, and investing in assets, such as a car, necessary to achieve financial stability and break the cycle of poverty.” This bill will promote asset appreciation so that these families can become permanently independent.

As a State Representative for these past seven years and a mother of four, Rep. Forry has learned early on and continues to feel strongly about the vast difference a good education can make in our children’s live. She will continue to promote policies that provide access to quality and safe schools for all our students because “providing families with a solid education is the best thing we can do to strengthen both our communities and economy.”