Framingham’s expansion of free preschool is a meaningful step forward for local families. For the 2026–2027 school year, Framingham MA Public Schools is offering no-cost school-day preschool programming for eligible 4-year-olds at multiple locations throughout the city. We think that’s worth celebrating.
But it also raises a larger question: what happens during all the years before a child reaches preschool age?
For many families, the need for dependable childcare begins a baby is born — long before kindergarten readiness, preschool applications, or a child’s fourth birthday ever enter the conversation.
The Childcare Journey Often Begins in Infancy
Parents don’t suddenly begin needing childcare when their child turns four. More parents than ever work a full-time job. There are fewer stay-at-home moms and dads than ever. For working families, one of the most challenging transitions can come when parental leave ends and it’s time to find someone they trust to care for a baby who may still be only a few months old. That can mean finding a program that works with a family’s schedule, offers the level of individual attention infants require, and — just as importantly — actually has space available.
It’s why expanding preschool access is only one part of the larger early-childhood picture. A strong childcare system also has to support families through the infant and toddler years that come before it.
Why Infant Care Can Be Harder to Find
Infant classrooms operate very differently from classrooms for older children. Babies require smaller groups, more caregivers, and significantly more individualized attention throughout the day. One baby may need a bottle while another is ready for a nap, another needs to be changed, and another simply needs to be held and comforted. Those needs don’t always follow a predictable classroom schedule. That makes infant care especially dependent on strong staffing. It also limits how many children a program can reasonably accommodate at one time.
Recent Massachusetts reporting has reflected some of those challenges, with infant and toddler classrooms experiencing higher closure rates than preschool classrooms.
So while the conversation around free preschool is important, the availability of infant and toddler care deserves to be part of that conversation, too.
Families Also Need Flexibility
Availability alone doesn’t solve every childcare challenge. Families have very different schedules. Some parents need care for a full workday. Others work remotely or on hybrid schedules. Some have grandparents or other relatives who provide care several days a week. Others may simply prefer a shorter day for their baby.
Having more than one childcare option can make an enormous difference. At The Teddy Bear Village, we offer both full-day and half-day infant care, giving families more flexibility in choosing a schedule that fits their lives.
Our infant programs are also supported by a large team of early childhood educators and caregivers across our two Framingham locations.
As TBV Co-Owner Evando Ananias explained in our recent press release:
“Babies don’t follow a classroom schedule in the same way older children do. Every child has their own rhythms, routines and needs. Having a strong team is necessary to give children that individual attention while also creating a calm, engaging environment.”
Preschool and Infant Care Aren’t Competing Solutions
Framingham’s free preschool expansion and local childcare programs serve different — but complementary — purposes. Free preschool can provide tremendous support for families once children reach preschool age. Infant and toddler programs help families navigate the years leading up to it. Together, they are pieces of a larger early-childhood system that should support children and parents throughout the journey — not only once a child turns four.
As Ananias put it:
“Free preschool is absolutely something worth celebrating. The next question is how we continue building a system that supports families during all the years leading up to it, too.”
Supporting Framingham Families From the Beginning
At The Teddy Bear Village, we provide care beginning in infancy and continuing through the toddler, preschool and Pre-K years.
In addition to full- and half-day infant care, TBV accepts Massachusetts childcare financial assistance vouchers and supports families in English, Spanish and Portuguese.
For us, expanding access to early childhood education means looking at the whole journey. Because preschool matters, but so do all the years that come before it.
Learn More About Our Infant Care and Toddler Care in Framingham
If you’re currently looking for infant childcare in Framingham, learn more about The Teddy Bear Village Infant Program and our full and half-day options.
Explore Our Preschool Program →
You can also read our full press release about Framingham’s free preschool expansion and the need for infant care.