Pilot opens expansion opportunity for some family childcare providers

(Image, Sam Drysdale, SHNS)

Allison Kuznitz | SHNS

Some family childcare providers will be able to experiment with growing their enrollment numbers under a pilot program the Department of Early Education and Care announced Monday.

According to the Department's website, there are about 16 family childcare providers in Franklin and 6 in Medway.

Licensed providers who run programs out of their homes can currently enroll up to 10 children if they have an "approved assistant" working with them, according to the state. The pilot program will evaluate whether the cap can be raised to 12 "while maintaining high standards for quality, safety, and regulatory compliance," EEC said.

"For many of us, this pilot program represents hope," said Edna Cabral, owner and educator at Edna's Little Garden FCC in Woburn. "Two additional slots may seem small, but they can make a meaningful difference in helping family child care businesses remain sustainable and create more stable, full-time positions for our assistants."

The pilot will include about 25 to 30 programs, as EEC collects data and feedback from educators and families. EEC will use those findings to help guide future decisions about family childcare capacity, staffing ratios and licensing structures.

Eligible providers for the pilot must hold a license in "good standing," be currently licensed and have 10 children enrolled, and have operated continuously with a licensed capacity of 10 children for at least three years, EEC said. The pilot stems from fiscal 2025 state budget language that removed the statutory cap of 10 children in family childcare programs.

Celina Reyes, president of the Family Child Care Chapter at SEIU Local 509, said the pilot will allow more families to access "personalized, attentive child care that helps our communities thrive." Family childcare supporters say the model can offer flexible hours and culturally appropriate programming.