New Members
The United Way of North Central Massachusetts’ SmartShare Child Care Pilot was one of four initiatives celebrated by the Healey-Driscoll Administration at Heywood Hospital in Gardner, Tuesday, August 25. Heywood Healthcare, and technology partner Upwards are working with the United Way of North Central Massachusetts to offer an innovative child care pilot that will provide parents with quality child care, the employer with a more productive workforce, and providers with the capacity to increase quality and quantity of child care services. The SmartShare Child Care pilot, receiving $800,000, is one of a total of $2 million in funding from the Commonwealth Employer Childcare Innovation Fund (ECCIF), a competitive statewide initiative.
In welcoming the crowd of more than 70 partners and Commonwealth of Massachusetts officials, Heywood Healthcare President and CEO Rozanna Penney remarked that as a working parent herself leading an organization staffed by employee parents, “Parents keep so many balls in the air. Our children’s safety and well-being is a ball we cannot drop.” She added, “Affordable quality child care is essential for our workforce infrastructure.”
United Way of North Central Massachusetts President and CEO Kory Eng served on a panel of grant awardees. “Through this initiative, we are demonstrating that when employers invest in child care for their employees, it will help to reduce absenteeism, increase job retention, and job satisfaction and will provide a measurable return on investment for their business or institution” Eng said.
The United Way of North Central MA has been working with the Community Foundation of North Central MA and the Employers & Child Care Coalition of North Central MA for three years to develop a model to address access to quality childcare that also strengthens the region’s workforce. Heywood Healthcare joined the project as the employer partner in October of 2024. Under the pilot, employee parents will receive financial support for childcare costs on a sliding fee scale supported by public and private funding. In addition to funding from the ECCIF, the pilot is supported by a generous matching gift from a private donor through the Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts.
Through a platform powered by Upwards, employees will be connected by 24/7 care specialists with licensed child care providers based on location, schedule, and availability, while the program also supports placement, enrollment, and administration of tuition subsidies. Data gathered through the platform will help partners identify gaps in care and work with providers to expand services where they are needed most. Upwards CEO Jessica Chang was on hand for the event and noted, “Our team at Upwards is excited to be part of the SmartShare Child Care pilot. It's brought a major employer to the table in Heywood Healthcare, and it reflects a shared understanding of how investment in child care strengthens educational outcomes, the economy, and the workforce. We look forward to seeing what the pilot shows from employee, employer, and provider perspectives, so we can apply those lessons to future replication of this shared funding child care model."
“This pilot is the result of three years of work with a broad array of industry and community leaders and now we are moving from research to action as we work to advance child care affordability in our region.” said United Way President and CEO Kory Eng. Since 2023, a community readiness assessment (CRA) was completed, an employee survey in partnership with Heywood Healthcare was conducted, a regional market analysis was fielded, and a return on investment (ROI) calculator was developed. “All of these important steps position us well for success,” said Eng. “This pilot will allow us to address critical concerns of our valued employees at Heywood Healthcare’” said President and CEO Rozanna Penney. She noted that last year’s employee survey showed that 70% of employees surveyed reported difficulty finding child care and 23% had no consistent child care arrangements. The pilot also addresses unique challenges that Heywood Healthcare faces. With a workforce that is 82% female and operates 24/7, traditional child care hours are difficult. This pilot will address those unique needs.
This project is funded by a grant from the Employer Child Care Innovation Fund (ECCIF), a pilot program designed by the Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) in collaboration with the Executive Office of Education (EOE), the Executive Office of Economic Development (EOED), the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development (EOLWD), and Commonwealth Corporation, and funded by the Massachusetts Legislature and the Healey-Driscoll Administration. The grant program is administered by Commonwealth Corporation Foundation.
Representing the Healey-Driscoll Administration at the event were:
- Stephen Zrike, Secretary of Education
- Lauren Jones, Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development
- Eric Paley, Secretary of Economic Development (panel moderator)
- Amy Kershaw, Commissioner of Early Education and Care
The North Central Massachusetts legislative delegation attending the event included State Representatives Jon Zlotnik, Mike Kushmerek, Meghan Kilcoyne, Susannah Whipps, Senator Peter Durant and Gardner Mayor Michael Nicholson.
###
About United Way of North Central Massachusetts
United Way of North Central Massachusetts’ mission is to improve lives by mobilizing the caring power of our community to advance the common good. We focus on three foundational blocks to a better life: education, health, and financial stability. Through the support of volunteers and donors, we create positive, lasting change across the 22 communities we call home. https://uwncm.org/
About Heywood Healthcare:
Heywood Healthcare is a non-profit, community-owned health system serving north central Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire. The system includes Heywood Hospital, a 134-bed acute care hospital in Gardner, MA; Athol Hospital, a 25-bed Critical Access hospital in Athol, MA; Heywood Medical Group; and multiple regional satellite facilities.
Heywood Hospital and Athol Hospital provide a full range of inpatient and outpatient services, including emergency care, surgery, imaging, rehabilitation, and specialty services. Heywood Medical Group, a non-profit physician organization with more than 75 providers, delivers primary and specialty care across a broad range of disciplines.
Together, the system provides coordinated, patient-centered care focused on expanding access and improving health outcomes across the region. Our mission is To be our region’s first choice for quality, compassionate, patient-centered care. heywood.org
About The Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts
The Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts, is the leading community foundation in the region, managing charitable funds established by individuals, families, businesses and other non-profit organizations. The Foundation promotes philanthropy in the region and helps philanthropists invest in the communities and causes they care about.
In addition, the Foundation makes grants to local nonprofits in the areas of the childcare, environment and animal welfare, education and career readiness, community enrichment, organizational development, racial equity and community health. cfncm.org
About Upwards
Upwards is a whole-family care platform with a mission to make quality child care and elder care accessible and affordable for working families nationwide. The company connects families with licensed, vetted caregivers, helps them afford care through government subsidies and workplace benefits, and powers care benefit programs for employers and governments at scale,
including state-funded child care programs in California and Utah and programs serving military families through the Army National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve. Founded in 2017 and led by Founder and CEO Jessica Chang, Upwards has supported over 3 million families. Learn more at upwards.com.
