Rep. Rogers Helps Secure Family Child Care Law

Editor's Note: The following is from a press release from Representative Rogers office

State Rep. John H. Rogers attended a bill signing ceremony last week with Governor Deval Patrick who signed into law a measure which Rogers says will empower small businesses providing day care and help ease the financial burdens of working families.

“This law empowers Norwood’s six family day care providers that are affected by this new measure and any increased state funding they receive can be passed on to their Norwood clients as child care fee reductions, driving down the cost of child care for our families,” Rogers said in a statement.

The new law affects only home-based child care providers who receive contract reimbursements from the state for income-eligible families who need day care.  According to Rogers, the law does not force any provider to either join a union or pay fees.

Rogers said that many small businesses that provide a service to the state are inadequately reimbursed for the service they provide, especially family child care providers who play an invaluable role in the government’s mission to enable young families to leave for work each day, knowing that their children are in good hands.

“The freedom of association is as time-honored as the state’s Constitution itself, giving power to ordinary citizens who share similar beliefs and struggles to band together to speak with one voice against their government when they think they are being treated poorly by their government,” said Rogers.

The law gives child care providers the ability to negotiate as one group or to choose to form a union to collectively bargain adequate rates from the state.  The legislation does not affect day care centers or private day care homes that do no business with the state.