On March 1, Governor Maura Healey released her $55.5 billion proposal for the state's FY2024 budget, filed as bill H.1 in the Legislature. At a stakeholders call on Wednesday, the Executive Office of Health and Human Services reviewed key investments that would support children, families, and the providers that serve them. These include:
A 14% overall increase to the Department of Children and Families, with total funding at $1.36 billion. Key items include:
- Family Support & Stabilization: $88,757,132 (a 22% increase)
- Congregate Care Services: $431,019,785 (a 28% increase)
- Foster Care Recruitment Campaign: $975,000 (a 30% increase)
- Services for Children and Families: $354,543,909 (an 11% increase)
- Family Resource Centers: $24,807,519 (a 12.3% decrease with a note that one-time FY23 costs were eliminated)
- $6.9 million to raise foster care rates by 7%
- $1.5 million for transition-age youth programming
A 9.5% overall increase to the Department of Mental Health, with total funding at $1.12 billion. Key items include:
- Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services: $118,014,950 (a 4.3% increase)
- Full funding for continued implementation of the Behavioral Health Roadmap activities
- Adding 1100 service beds for children and adults, including 65 in-patient beds - representing approximately 30% increase in community beds and 10% increase in in-patient beds.
A 4% overall increase to the Department of Youth Services, with total funding at $182.6 million, including $4.5 million to initiatives that include lifting up child and family voices and addressing racial equity and inclusion.
Some areas where we'll be taking action to ensure they meet projected needs include:
- Chapter 257: $173 million for the rates to be reviewed in FY24, with projected rate increases that will range from 8-15% depending on service. This represents starting benchmarking at the 50th percentile of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and includes a portion of the $125 million in Economic Development funds that then will raise the benchmark to the 53rd percentile (for both FY24 and FY25 rates). It is anticipated that the 53rd percentile will be the floor going forward.
- Special Education Circuit Breaker: $503,823,601
Governor Healey's budget also includes tax relief measures that would directly benefit the sector. These include:
- A fully refundable child and family tax credit of $600 per qualifying dependent, including all children under age 13;
- A new Student Loan Repayment Exemption, ensuring these benefits are no longer treated as taxable income;
- An increase to Transitional Aid to Dependent Families, to meet increases in projected need.
Find CLM's detailed budget breakdown of key line items here.
Find the complete breakdown of the Governor's proposed budget here.