Mass. early education commissioner seeks state board's approval to require masks for children, staff - The Boston Globe
Face coverings may soon be required for children as young as 5 years old and staff members working in early education, pending a state board's decision on the plan by Early Education and Care Commissioner Samantha Aigner-Treworgy.
Aigner-Treworgy is asking the Board of Early Education and Care to grant her the authority to implement an indoor mask mandate at all state-licensed child care centers, according to a statement.
"The mask requirement would help ensure child care, afterschool programs, and other facilities licensed by EEC can remain open with limited interruptions and provide additional health and safety measures as more educators get vaccinated," the statement said.
The board is expected to vote on the question during a special meeting on Tuesday.
The mask requirement would allow expectations for children who cannot wear one due to a medical condition or behavioral needs, the statement said. Students ages 2 to 4 years old are encouraged to wear masks, the statement said.
On Wednesday, Education Commissioner Jeffrey Riley announced a mask mandate for all public school students and staff until at least Oct. 1.
Aigner-Treworgy is also seeking the authority to "make regulation changes" to combat the workforce shortage that has limited access to child care across the state, the statement said. The commissioner's proposal aims to "streamline requirements that create hiring barriers for child care programs," the statement said.
If approved, the commissioner would propose a specific plan during the board's September meeting.
"EEC is committed to addressing barriers to help child care programs increase their workforce and help more families get back to work by accessing child care that works for them," Aigner-Treworgy said. "We fully recognize the critical importance of doing all we can to help mitigate the impact of the pandemic on child care and on the health and safety of families."
Nick Stoico can be reached at nick.stoico@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @NickStoico.
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