MASSACHUSETTS CHILDCARE AND PRESCHOOLS
for residents of Massachusetts
Families in Massachusetts may be eligible for childcare assistance, free childcare,
and preschool programs if they are low-income and have young children. Several different
childcare
assistance programs are available in Massachusetts. Each program has its own
eligibility requirements. Parents or guardians may choose
the type
of childcare program that is best for their child, including daycare centers,
family childcare, in-home childcare, or preschool. Most childcare and preschool
programs
in Massachusetts offer family support services and referrals.
Click on a Massachusetts childcare program for more information:
The DTA childcare services program helps eligible TAFDC and
former TAFDC families in Massachusetts get childcare help as soon
as they need it. This childcare assistance program is for families
where parents are working, looking for a job, or attending
an approved education or job training program.
Income-eligible childcare is free or reduced cost childcare for low-income non-TAFDC families in Massachusetts where parents are working,
in an education or job training program, or disabled. The Office of Child
Care Services (OCCS)
sets eligibility rules for this childcare program. Eligible families are put on a waiting list to receive childcare vouchers or contracted slots at childcare centers. The fee you will pay for childcare is based on
your income and family size. You may choose the type of childcare
that is
best for
your child.
Community Partnerships for Children help make quality preschool programs
more affordable for working families in Massachusetts. Parents pay a fee based on a
sliding scale according to their income and family size.
Teen parent childcare programs provide free childcare and support services to teen parents who
are in high school, a GED program, job training, or working. They encourage teens
to become self-supporting and responsible parents.
Early Intervention (EI) is a program to help infants and toddlers who have developmental delays or are at risk for such problems. Early Intervention teams work with families of at-risk children to figure out what services are needed and the best way to provide those services.
Head Start and Early Head Start are free early childhood programs for pregnant women and for children from birth to age 5.
The goal of these child care and preschool programs is to help children from low-income families get a healthy start and become ready for school.
Both programs give children and their families a
wide range of educational and social services.
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