On January 24, the Healey-Driscoll 58.1 Billion Dollar Budget Proposal for FY25 was released, and the Executive Office of Health and Human Services held a stakeholders call to review key investments for children, families, and providers. Despite the budget's growth being constrained to less than half the normal average (2.9% instead of 6.1%), EOHHS budget received a 4% increase to $30.08 Billion.
CLM is supportive of these strategic investments:
- Investing in Child and Family Welfare and Well Being
- $139.5M for Family Support and Stabilization (up from $88.8M in FY24)
- $10M to develop new intensive residential program models for youth with complex needs not currently being met
- $2.1M to support increased demand in the Massachusetts Youth Diversion program and serve three additional counties
- $495.9M to Congregate Care (up from $431M)
- $11.4M to Local & Regional Admin & for Area Leads & RRC (Up from $9.5M)
- $3.1M in a new Postpartum Care Services program within DCF, serving families impacted by Substance Use Disorder
- $492.2M to Special Education Circuit Breaker (combined with prior $75M supplemental funding meets projected claims)
- Investing in the Human Services Critical Workforce
- Provides $390M for Chapter 257 rate increases, with an additional $95M from previous economic development legislation, to support rate setting at the 53% of BLS benchmark, and additionally ensuring median starting salaries at $20/hour for the lowest level positions
- Caring for Behavioral Health
- $10M increase to DMH's children and adolescent mental health services
- $3.6M to support DPH's school-based behavioral health programming
- $5M for early childhood mental health supports and services for children and early education professionals
- Childcare and Early Education
- Builds up Commonwealth Preschool Partnership Initiative (CPPI) Pre-K Initiative with $21M investment up from $5.5M to expand universal access to high-quality preschool, starting with all Gateway Cities
- Creates a Childcare Affordability Initiative receiving a $75M investment to serve an additional 4,000 children (to expand eligibility to child care financial assistance and reduce waitlists)
- $150M for Child Care Grants to Providers (child care programs licensed or otherwise funded by the department of early education and care prioritizing funding based on equity) to be used in coordination with $325M for Commonwealth Cares for Children (C3) Grants (stabilization grants; non-competitive and available for all eligible EEC-licensed child care open and serving families in MA)
- $65M for Early Education and Care financial assistance rate increases
Areas for action and advocacy by CLM and our members:
- Family Resource Centers funded at $27.3M, down from $33.8M
- Commitment to create ABLE accounts to support social security benefits going directly to children in foster care
Funding for Temporary Assistance for Families with Dependent Children at adequate levels to meet needs - EA (Emergency Assistance) Emergency Family Shelter
- The Governor and Secretary of Administration and Finance Matthew Gorzkowicz noted they are filing a supplemental budget with appropriations for EA shelter; continuing to appeal to the federal government for assistance, and are planning reforms for the overburdened system.
We encourage members to reach out to your state Representatives on priority funding. The House will have a few months to develop their budget proposal for the Senate.
Find CLM's detailed budget breakdown of key line items here.
Find the line-items breakdown of the Governor's proposed budget here.
Find details of the EOHHS proposed budget here.
Find more about the Healey Budget Plan here.