Governor Maura Healey announced last week that 30 Family Child Care (FCC) programs across Massachusetts have been selected to participate in a new pilot aimed at expanding access to child care for families. The programs include locations in Everett, Lynn, and Revere. Through the Department of Early Education and Care’s (EEC) Family Child Care Capacity Pilot Program, participating providers will be able to serve up to 12 children, compared to the current limit of 10, while continuing to meet high standards for quality, safety, and regulatory compliance. The pilot has the potential to create up to 60 additional child care seats across participating programs. It will also help the state evaluate how expanding capacity at Family Child Care programs can create more options for families while supporting the educators and small business owners who provide care in their communities. “Families across Massachusetts need more high-quality child care options, and we’re using every tool we have to create them,” said Healey. “Family Child Care providers are trusted by families and deeply rooted in their communities.” The governor said the pilot program gives experienced providers the opportunity to safely serve more children while helping the state learn what works and how it can continue expanding access for families across Massachusetts. “Access to quality, affordable child care is essential for working families and for a strong local economy,” said Revere State Representative Jessica Giannino. “I’m thrilled to see Revere family child care providers included in this new pilot, which will help expand options for parents while supporting the dedicated providers who care for our youngest residents every day. This is a meaningful investment in Revere families, our workforce, and our community.” Everett State Representative Joseph McGonagle also praised the pilot program. “As we have seen, affordable and safe childcare is becoming increasingly burdensome for families across the Commonwealth,” he said. “Everett has some of the hardest working people I know; families who work multiple jobs and long hours to provide. However, long wait lists and high prices in childcare make this even more strenuous. I am thrilled that Governor Healey recognizes this need not just in Massachusetts, but especially in Everett. I’m grateful that the leaders of Massachusetts will put children and families first.” Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll said family child care providers know their families and communities and play an important role in helping parents get to work and children learn and grow. “We’re giving these small businesses an opportunity to serve more families while making sure quality and safety remain at the center of everything we do,” said Driscoll. “This is another practical way we can work with providers to create more child care options in communities across Massachusetts.” The 30 participating Family Child Care programs were selected through an application process that considered licensing history, program experience, staffing capacity, physical space, and readiness to meet the pilot’s additional requirements. The selected programs represent communities across Massachusetts and will allow EEC to evaluate how expanded capacity works across different program settings and regions. During the pilot, EEC will gather feedback from educators and families, monitor licensing and safety outcomes and collect information about program operations. The results will help inform future decisions about Family Child Care capacity, staffing, group sizes and licensing requirements. “Every child deserves the opportunity to benefit from high-quality early education, and every family should be able to find care that works for them,” said Education Secretary Steve Zrike. “Family child care providers are trusted partners in communities across Massachusetts and essential to making that possible. This pilot will help us expand access for more families while continuing to deliver the safe, high-quality experiences that help children build a foundation for future learning.”