Upwards to Power First-of-Its-Kind Shared-Funding Child Care Program in Massachusetts
Selected by United Way of North Central Massachusetts as technology and child care payment partner, Upwards will connect Heywood Healthcare employees with licensed child care, coordinate funding across partners, and measure workforce outcomes from day one
Upwards, a national child care benefits platform, has been selected by United Way of North Central Massachusetts as the technology and child care payment partner for a new shared-funding child care program serving employees of Heywood Healthcare. The program is funded through the Commonwealth's Employer Child Care Innovation Fund (ECCIF), part of the Healey-Driscoll Administration's nearly $2 million investment to expand employer-supported child care across Massachusetts, and is described by project leaders as the first of its kind in Massachusetts.
Under the shared-funding model, often called a tri-share approach, the cost of licensed child care for children ages 0 to 5 is split among three contributors: public grant funds; an employer share, in this case supported philanthropically through the Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts; and participating employees, who contribute on a sliding scale.
