Child Care Subsidies & Assistance in Massachusetts
Massachusetts raised CCFA assistance to 85% SMI in January 2026 — among the most generous expansions in the U.S. — but ~31,000 children remain on the waitlist. MA folded its CDCC into a refundable $440-per-dependent Child & Family Tax Credit (no income minimum).
Data current as of May 21, 2026
Child care subsidy (CCDF) in Massachusetts
- Program name
- Child Care Financial Assistance (CCFA)
- Administered by
- Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care (EEC)
- Income ceiling
- Initial eligibility up to 85% State Median Income (about $82,800 for a family of four) — raised from 50% SMI effective January 1, 2026. Families at or below 50% SMI receive priority access.
- Family fee / copay
- Sliding parent fee set by EEC. $0 for families below 50% SMI, scaling to approximately 7% of income near the ceiling. The statutory 7% copay cap is pending in the Early Ed Act and is not yet codified.
- Waitlist status
- Multi-year waitlist — Approximately 31,151 children on the centralized waitlist as of May 2025. The state has committed $475 million toward eliminating the waitlist by 2027. Department of Children and Families (DCF) and Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA / TANF) referrals are entitlements and bypass the waitlist.
Priority groups (served first)
- Families involved with the Department of Children and Families (DCF)
- Families receiving Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA / TANF) benefits
- Families experiencing homelessness
- EEC and early-education staff
- Young parents
- Survivors of domestic violence
- Siblings of currently enrolled CCFA children
- Families at or below 50% SMI
State pre-K in Massachusetts
- Program name
- Commonwealth Preschool Partnership Initiative (CPPI)
- Administered by
- Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care (EEC)
- Access
- Income-targeted
- Eligibility
- Children from age 2 years 9 months through kindergarten-eligible age in participating CPPI communities. Eligibility and seat availability vary by community.
- Coverage
- 30 participating communities in FY 2026 (19 Gateway Cities plus 11 rural). Governor Healey's 'Gateway to Pre-K' executive order targets universal access in all Gateway Cities by end of 2026; providers report the timeline is at risk.
State tax credits & extras in Massachusetts
- State CDCC
- Massachusetts does not offer a state Child and Dependent Care Credit. Massachusetts no longer maintains a separate state Child and Dependent Care Credit. The older Dependent Care Tax Credit (DCTC) and Household Dependent Tax Credit (HDTC) were folded into the unified Child and Family Tax Credit starting tax year 2023 — see below.
Other state programs and credits
- Massachusetts Child and Family Tax Credit — refundable $440 per dependentRefundable state credit of $440 per qualifying dependent: any child under 13, a disabled adult dependent, or a dependent age 65 or older. No cap on number of dependents claimed. No income minimum. ITIN filers are eligible. Replaced the older Dependent Care Tax Credit beginning tax year 2023.
Where to apply or get help in Massachusetts
- Find a licensed daycare in MassachusettsChildery directory — quality ratings, ZIP & city search
- Massachusetts child care portalwww.mass.gov/child-care-financial-assistance
- Eligibility screenerwww.mass.gov/how-to/apply-for-funds-to-help-pay-for-child-care
- Massachusetts 211 (dial 2-1-1)mass211.org/
- Apply for CCFAwww.mass.gov/how-to/apply-for-funds-to-help-pay-for-child-care
- Massachusetts Child and Family Tax Creditwww.mass.gov/info-details/massachusetts-child-and-family-tax-credit
- Commonwealth Preschool Partnership Initiative (CPPI)www.mass.gov/info-details/commonwealth-preschool-partnership-initiative-cppi
- Massachusetts Child Care Resource and Referral Agencieswww.mass.gov/child-care-resource-and-referral-agencies
- Federal childcare.gov — Massachusetts resourceschildcare.gov/state-resources/massachusetts
Find a daycare in Massachusetts
Once you know what you qualify for, Childery's directory helps you pick a provider. Browse Massachusetts's licensed daycares with independent Process and Structural quality ratings, or search by ZIP code or city.
Browse Massachusetts daycaresSources
- Child Care Financial Assistance — Mass.gov
- EEC Board vote — 85% SMI expansion (effective Jan 1, 2026) (2026)
- CCFA Interim Income-Eligible Policy Advisory (EEC)
- CCFA Data Brief
- Massachusetts Child and Family Tax Credit
- Commonwealth Preschool Partnership Initiative (CPPI)
- Common Start Coalition — Senate Early Ed Act
- Federal childcare.gov — Massachusetts resources
Every state layers its own program on top of a federal floor — CCDF (the federal block grant), Head Start, the federal DCFSA (employer pre-tax benefit), and the federal Child and Dependent Care Credit. See the federal overview for what the floor looks like before any state adds.