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Yet FCC owners and assistants often receive some of the lowest wages among educators despite running small businesses that provide essential public services. The report examines structural barriers such as low state-subsidized reimbursement, volatile revenue, and high operating costs, linking these to the systemic devaluation of care work. 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The report frames FCC as a potential path to wealth building that has been undermined by systemic financial barriers.","Answer",{"name":116,"@type":111,"acceptedAnswer":117},"What main financial constraints affect FCC owners in Massachusetts?",{"text":118,"@type":114},"The report highlights low reimbursement rates for state-subsidized care, unpredictable revenue streams, and high operating costs. These pressures make it difficult for many FCC owners to break even and grow stable long-term financial security.",{"name":120,"@type":111,"acceptedAnswer":121},"What policy strategies does the report emphasize to support FCC owners?",{"text":122,"@type":114},"The report points to recent policy changes such as Commonwealth Cares for Children (C3) grants that provide stability, and it stresses raising reimbursement rates to better reflect the true cost of care. 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For 35 years, MassBudget has partnered with advocates, legislators, grassroots organizations and national thought leaders to provide research and data to solve the Commonwealth’s most pressing issues. Recently, this has included passage of the Fair Share Amendment; boosting take-home pay for low-income families through Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) increases; improving the Child and Family Tax Credit; and playing a substantial role in the passage of the nation’s most progressive K-12 education funding bill – the 2019 Student Opportunity Act.  \nABOUT BOSTON INDICATORS  \nBoston Indicators is the research center at the Boston Foundation, which works to advance a thriving Greater Boston for all residents across all neighborhoods. We do this by analyzing key indicators of well-being and by researching promising ideas for making our city more prosperous, equitable and just. To ensure that our work informs active efforts to improve our city, we work in deep partnership with community groups, civic leaders and Boston’s civic data community to produce special reports and host public convenings.  \nACKNOWLEDGMENTS  \nWe would like to thank all of the partners who have collaborated with us on this work. First and foremost, we thank the family child care owners who participated in our surveys and focus groups. And a special thanks to Alejandra Tejeda and the staff at SEIU Local 509 who helped to collect information, conduct focus groups, and ultimately, make this project possible. Finally, we would like to thank staff at the Department of Early Education and Care who provided generous support with data collection and research.  \nCover photo by Yan Krukau on Pexels.  \nTHE BUSINESS OF CARE  \nStrengthening Family Child Careas a Path to Wealth Building  \nMARCH 2025  \nAUTHORS  \nMassBudget  \nAdam Jones  \nEDITORS  \nBoston Indicators  \nLuc Schuster Peter Ciurczak  \nThe Boston Foundation  \nSandy Kendall  \nDanubia Camargos Silva  \nDESIGN  \nIsidor Studio  \nMel Isidor  \nCONTENTS  \nForeword ................................. 6  \nUnderstanding Family Child-Care Providers ................ 8  \nA Mixed Methods Approach to the FCC Field in Massachusetts ........... 12  \nState Policy Recommendations ................. 25  \nEndnotes ............................... 28  \nFOREWORD  \nAt Boston Indicators, we have spent the past three years examining the drivers of racial wealth inequity in Greater Boston through our Racial Wealth Equity Resource Center initiative. We have explored access to homeownership, the challenges of retirement security, and the historic policies that have shaped today’s stark wealth divides and patterns of residential segregation. One of the central questions guiding this work is how we can better support pathways to wealth-building for those who have historically been left behind?  \nFamily child care (FCC) presents one such pathway. It is a sector dominated by women—especially women of color and new immigrants—who are creating and running small businesses that provide an essential public service. But while small business ownership is often a key wealth-building strategy, the reality for FCC owners in Massachusetts has been decidedly precarious. As this report from the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center makes clear, FCCs operate under significant financial constraints. Low reimbursement rates for state-subsidized care, unpredictable revenue streams, and high operating costs mean that many FCC owners struggle to break even, let alone grow their businesses or depend on them to build long-term financial security.  \nThese financial challenges are not accidental—they reflect a much deeper, systemic devaluation of care work ","cbCaic26HbaP3RVO","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaic26HbaP3RVO","pdf",11092784,"English","# Foreword\n## Understanding Family Child-Care Providers\n## A Mixed Methods Approach to the FCC Field in Massachusetts\n## State Policy Recommendations\n## Endnotes","[{\"question\":\"Why does the report focus on family child-care providers as a wealth-building pathway?\",\"answer\":\"Family child-care (FCC) is a crucial service in Massachusetts and is largely operated by women, including women of color and new immigrants, who run small businesses. The report frames FCC as a potential path to wealth building that has been undermined by systemic financial barriers.\"},{\"question\":\"What main financial constraints affect FCC owners in Massachusetts?\",\"answer\":\"The report highlights low reimbursement rates for state-subsidized care, unpredictable revenue streams, and high operating costs. These pressures make it difficult for many FCC owners to break even and grow stable long-term financial security.\"},{\"question\":\"What policy strategies does the report emphasize to support FCC owners?\",\"answer\":\"The report points to recent policy changes such as Commonwealth Cares for Children (C3) grants that provide stability, and it stresses raising reimbursement rates to better reflect the true cost of care. It also calls for reducing barriers to expansion and offering financial tools that help FCC owners build lasting wealth.\"}]","THE BUSINESS OF CARE - Strengthening Family Child Care as a Path to Wealth Building - March 2025 | PDF",1792045925,76]