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Page 4 THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, July 15, 2022 Lawrence A. Simeone Jr. Attorney-at-Law ~ Since 1989 ~ * Corporate Litigation * Criminal/Civil * MCAD * Zoning/Land Court * Wetlands Litigation * Workmen’s Compensation * Landlord/Tenant Litigation * Real Estate Law * Construction Litigation * Tax Lein * Personal Injury * Bankruptcy * Wrongful Death * Zoning/Permitting Litigation 300 Broadway, Suite 1, Revere * 781-286-1560 lsimeonejr@simeonelaw.net ANGELO’S FULL SERVICE Regular Unleaded $4.189 Mid Unleaded $4.459 Super $4.989 Diesel Fuel $4.999 44 Years of Excellence!! 1978-2022 KERO $8.99 DEF $4.75 9 DYED ULS $4.249 9 HEATING OIL 24-Hour Burner Service Call for Current Price! DEF Available by Pump! Open an account and order online at: www.angelosoil.com (781) 231-3500 (781) 231-3003 367 LINCOLN AVE • SAUGUS Hours: Mon. - Wed. 6AM - 6PM / Thurs. & Fri. 6AM - 7PM / Sat. 7AM - 5PM / Sun. 9AM-1PM Need a hall for your special event? The Schiavo Club, located at 71 Tileston Street, Everett is available for your Birthdays, Anniversaries, Sweet 16 parties and more? Call Paul at (617) 387-5457 for details. J& • Reliable Mowing Service • Spring & Fall Cleanups • Mulch & Edging • Sod or Seed Lawns • Shrub Planting & Trimming • Water & Sewer Repairs Joe Pierotti, Jr. Sen. Lewis leads effort in Mass. Senate to pass bill to expand access to high-quality, affordable early education and child care O n July 7, Senator Jason Lewis, the Senate Chair of the Massachusetts Legislature’s Joint Committee on Education, helped lead his colleagues in the Massachusetts Senate to unanimously pass S.2973, An Act to expand access to high-quality, affordable early education and care. This bipartisan legislation seeks to transform early education and child care in the Commonwealth by making it more accessible and affordable for families, providing high-quality care for young children, strengthening early education providers, improving compensation and professional development for early educators and better meeting the workforce needs of Massachusetts employers. The bill is based on the recommendations made by the Special Legislative Early Education and Care Economic Review Commission, which was created by the legislature in 2020 and issued its fi nal report in March 2022. This commission was led by Senator Lewis and Representative Alice Peisch. Having passed the Senate, the bill now moves to the House of Representatives for further consideration. “There are numerous benefits from expanding access to high-quality, aff ordable early education and child care: it enhances the cognitive and social emotional development of young children; it enables parents to work and improves families’ economic well-being; and it helps employers that are struggling with a workforce shortage,” said S LANDSCAPE & MASONRY CO. Masonry - Asphalt • Brick or Block Steps • Brick or Block Walls • Concrete or Brick Paver Patios & Walkways • Brick Re-Pointing • Asphalt Paving www.JandSlandscape-masonry.com • Senior Discount • Free Estimates • Licensed & Insured 617-389-1490 Designing and Constructing Ideas that are “Grounds for Success” Landscaping Jason Lewis State Senator Senator Lewis. “This legislation makes major strides in improving aff ordability and accessibility of care for families, stabilizing early education providers which will improve program quality and expand capacity, and supporting the early educator workforce, many of whom are women of color. I’m very grateful to Senate President Spilka, who has long championed early education, my Senate colleagues, and the advocates who have worked so hard to make this happen.” “The Common Start Coalition, made up of more than 150 organizations and thousands of parents, providers, and early educators working together to make high-quality early education and child care aff ordable and accessible to all Massachusetts families, is thrilled by the Senate’s passage of An Act to Expand Access to High-Quality, Aff ordable Early Education and Care. This legislation represents a substantial step toward implementing our full vision and tackling the ongoing multifaceted child care crisis,” said Coalition for Social Justice Executive Director Deb Fastino, who is also the Statewide Director of the Common Start Coalition. “This legislation will aid educators who are working for inadequate pay, families who are struggling to aff ord child care, and providers who are working hard to keep their doors open and their programs fully staff ed. We are grateful for the leadership of Education Committee Chairman Jason Lewis, Senate Ways and Means Committee Chairman Michael Rodrigues and Senate President Karen Spilka, and look forward to working with Chairwoman Peisch and House leadership to get comprehensive child care legislation across the fi nish line and deliver the help that parents, educators, providers, and children desperately need.” High-quality early education helps young children to develop stronger communication, social and cognitive skills. Investments in early education have been shown to yield long-term benefi ts, such as higher academic achievement and greater lifetime earnings. However, for too many families in Massachusetts today high-quality, affordable early education and child care remains out of reach or is a major fi nancial challenge. This impacts the ability of parents, especially mothers, to enter or remain in the workforce and hurts families’ economic well-being. It is also contributing to workforce shortages and hampering the state’s economic recovery. This legislation improves access to high-quality care and aff ordability for families in the following ways: • Increases subsidy eligibility over time from the current level of 50% of state median income ($65,626 annual household income for a family of four) to 125% of state median income ($164,065 annual household income for a family of four) • Makes it easier for subsidized providers to off er scholarships or discounted tuition for their private pay families • Requires the Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) to annually evaluate and eliminate barriers to subsidy access for families • Requires parent fees for subsidized families to be aff ordable and updated at least every fi ve years • Requires EEC to assess the extent of the current supply of licensed care across the state and the unmet needs of families Even as child care is expensive for families to aff ord, early education providers are in crisis. Given the low wages and poor benefi ts that they can afford to pay their staff , providers face chronic challenges with attracting and retaining early educators, almost all of whom are women and many of whom are women of color. Federal pandemic relief funding has been a lifeline for the early education and care sector, but these funds are one-time and not a sustainable solution. This legislation will help stabilize providers, improve program quality, and expand capacity in the following ways: • Makes operational grants to providers that were fi rst distributed during the pandemic permanent and requires that a provider must be willing to enroll subsidized children in order to qualiEDUCATION | SEE PAGE 14 Prices subject to change Ask about our Heating Oil Conditioner! FLEET

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