Guest column: A terrible time to cut state funding for children to eat

Published: 01-30-2025 8:25 PM |
I stepped quietly into Ms. B’s classroom, hoping that she was busy in the teachers’ lounge. I glanced behind me before walking past her desk, piled high with papers, binders and books, to find the equally full and disheveled tote bags she kept on the floor.
I was here because I was hungry, and I knew that Ms. B kept extra food for herself in those bags. I’d been relying on these snuck snacks of dry cereal, nuts, and granola bars to get through the school day that year, feeling guilty that I was abusing the trust of one of the few teachers I truly liked by stealing her food. But regular meals were scarce at home and I had no money for school lunch.
When I looked down at the bags, the first thing I saw was a handwritten note. I was horrified to see my name at the top of the page.
“Suzanne, please take what you need. I have plenty.”
A mix of shame and relief flooded my body as I moved the note aside and took a peanut bar before heading to my next class.
I am a teacher now, and Ms. B’s generosity is exactly the kind of community care I practice in my own preschool classroom. The shelves and fridge are stocked with backup snacks, meals and drinks for any child who needs them. Most teachers spend their own money to help ensure their students have food, clean clothing, school supplies and other necessities, despite the fact that many of us have little money to spare.
Although the cost of living continues to rise, the amount the state provides to families through Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children (TAFDC) hasn’t. It has remained at a rate that keeps Massachusetts families well below the federal “deep poverty” level for years. Some hope for improvement was included in this year’s state budget, when the legislature approved a 10% TAFDC increase to go into effect this April. However, last week the governor’s office proposed rescinding that overall increase and distributing a much smaller boost that would, on average, put only an additional $18 in families’ pockets each month.
It’s never a good time to balance the budget on the backs of Massachusetts’ most vulnerable residents. This week, as a potential federal funding freeze put many vital support programs in jeopardy, our state government has an even greater obligation to shore up programs like TAFDC to help families weather whatever storms await us during these volatile times.
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When the state fails to keep its promise to meet our children’s most basic needs, the responsibility falls to local organizations such as food pantries, churches, teachers like Ms. B, and nonprofits like my preschool. I’ve seen firsthand the increased needs in our community over the past few years.
We’re feeding more kids more often. We’re creating GoFundMes to help parents secure reliable transportation so they can stay employed. And while we struggle to make payroll each week, we are stretching every cent to provide as much financial aid to families as we can bear. The proposed TAFDC cuts are incongruous with Gov. Maura Healey’s previously well-demonstrated commitment to early childhood education and care.
Balancing the state budget is no small task, but we can neither do so on the backs of our most vulnerable nor by relying on local agencies already spread thin by rising needs and diminishing funding. I urge Gov.r Healey to reconsider the proposed changes to the TAFDC increase. I hope that Massachusetts residents will contact her office at (888) 870-7770 to do the same, and will join the Lift Our Kids Coalition to help end deep poverty in Massachusetts.
In the same state where voters eagerly supported The Fair Share Amendment in 2022, surely we can tell children and families: Please take what you need. We have plenty.
Suzanne Stillinger is an early childhood teacher leader and accessibility coordinator at New Village Preschool in Northampton. She is a 2024-2025 Teach Plus Senior Writing Fellow and a 2024-25 Teach Plus Massachusetts Senior Policy Fellow.