Free pre-K in Massachusetts: Who gets a seat, and how to find one

Maybe, depending on your zip code. Massachusetts doesn’t offer free pre-K to every 4-year-old, but free and low-cost seats exist through public-school pre-K, state-funded partnership classrooms in 30 communities, Head Start and state childcare aid. Your fastest move: call your school district’s early childhood office.

By our editors · Facts checked October 7, 2026

The short version

• No statewide guarantee. What you can get depends on your city or town.
• The Commonwealth Preschool Partnership Initiative (CPPI) funds pre-K in 30 communities. Nearly 80% of enrolled kids attend at reduced or no cost.
• The state promised universal pre-K in all 26 Gateway Cities by the end of 2026. Seven still aren’t in CPPI.
• The FY27 budget cut CPPI to $15.5 million, down from $20.5 million. No new communities this year.
• Kids with disabilities who qualify get free special education from the school district starting at age 3.

Is pre-K free in Massachusetts?

Not everywhere. In January 2024, Gov. Maura Healey launched Gateway to Pre-K. The goal: every family of a 4-year-old in the state’s 26 Gateway Cities gets a low- or no-cost, high-quality preschool option by the end of 2026.

Progress is real but partial. As of March 2026, 7 of the 26 cities still weren’t in CPPI, the state’s main pre-K grant. Asked whether the system has enough money for every 4-year-old in every Gateway City, Amy O’Leary of Strategies for Children said, “We’re not there yet,” CommonWealth Beacon reported.

The FY27 budget squeeze

Then the money got tighter. The governor asked for about $32 million for CPPI in fiscal 2027. The final budget funded it at $15.5 million, down from $20.5 million the year before.

In September 2026 the Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) told its Advisory Council it can’t expand to more districts or Gateway Cities, and current grantees will get less money. Translation: if your town isn’t in, don’t count on it joining this year.

Your main options

Option	Who it serves	Cost to families	How to start
Public-school pre-K	Varies by district; seats are often limited	Often free; ask your district	District registration or early childhood office
CPPI partner classrooms	3- and 4-year-olds in 30 communities	No or low cost for many families	Your school district or a partner program
Head Start	Eligible kids 5 and under	Ask your local agency	Local Head Start agency
Child Care Financial Assistance (CCFA)	Families up to 85% of state median income with a work, school or other need	Income-based fee; many pay nothing	MyChildCareMA
Preschool special education	Kids 3 to 5 with a disability who qualify	Free	Referral to your school district

Sources: CPPI, Head Start, CCFA and special education. For full-day care, our guide to childcare aid walks through CCFA step by step.

How does CPPI work?

CPPI is an EEC grant that pays school districts to team up with local programs, such as child care centers, family child care homes and Head Start, so families can choose among public and community classrooms. It’s called “mixed delivery.”

In fiscal 2025, CPPI served over 3,200 kids in just over 100 programs. Most of those programs aren’t schools: 77% are child care centers, 8% are family child care homes and 15% are public schools.

Grants don’t cover everyone. In Salem, public pre-K seats go by lottery and grant money is aimed at families with the greatest need, so many families still pay full tuition. Here’s what that tuition can run in Massachusetts.

Participating communities (fiscal 2026)

EEC’s grantee list: Barnstable, Boston, Brockton, Chicopee, Fall River, Fitchburg, Framingham, Gateway Regional, Gloucester, Haverhill, Holyoke, Hoosac Valley, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn, Malden, New Bedford, North Adams, Northampton, Pittsfield, Plymouth, Quincy, Salem, Sandwich, Somerville, Springfield, Taunton, Wareham, Westfield and Worcester.

How to find a seat near you

1. Check the list above. If your community is on it, ask the school district how to get a CPPI seat.
2. Call your district’s early childhood or pre-K office. Districts outside CPPI may still run their own classrooms.
3. Ask community programs near home or work whether they have CPPI-funded or scholarship seats, and whether they take state aid.
4. Contact your local Head Start agency. It decides who qualifies and knows about openings.
5. Apply for CCFA at MyChildCareMA if your income may qualify. It can help pay for full-day care.
6. Get local help from Mass 211 (dial 2-1-1) or your regional Child Care Resource and Referral agency.

Questions to ask the district

• What’s the age cutoff date, and when do applications open?
• Are seats assigned by lottery? Is there a waitlist?
• Is it free, or is there tuition for some seats?
• Is it full day or half day? Is there before- or after-care, or transportation?
• Which community programs are your partners?
• How do you include kids with IEPs in each classroom?

Still sorting out the terms? Here’s the difference between daycare, preschool and pre-K, plus a kindergarten readiness checklist for the year ahead.

For children who need extra support

You don’t have to wait for a pre-K seat to get help. Anyone with a concern, including a parent, can refer a child 2½ or older to the public school district for an evaluation.

The district must send a consent notice within 5 school days and finish the evaluation within 30 school days after you agree. If your child qualifies, special education starts at 3 at no cost.

Kids in Massachusetts Early Intervention (EI) should be referred to the district by about 2½ so services can start on the third birthday. Services can happen in preschool and child care settings, not only public schools.

CPPI makes inclusion a priority: roughly a fifth to a quarter of kids in CPPI classrooms have received EI or special education services. See how IFSPs and IEPs work in the classroom, and talk with your pediatrician about any development questions.

Common questions

Is pre-K free for every 4-year-old in Massachusetts?

No. Free and low-cost seats exist, but there’s no statewide guarantee. The Gateway Cities goal isn’t fully met, and the FY27 budget doesn’t fund new CPPI communities.

My town isn’t on the CPPI list. What are my options?

Ask your district whether it runs its own pre-K. Look into Head Start and CCFA if your income may qualify. If your child may have a disability, request a district evaluation.

Do I have to use the public school for a free or low-cost seat?

No. In CPPI communities, most partner programs are child care centers and family child care homes. Ask the district for its partner list.

Can my child with an IEP attend a community program?

Often, yes. Special education services can be delivered in preschool and child care settings. Ask your district how it serves kids with IEPs in partner classrooms.

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Sources

• The Download: How ‘universal’ is universal pre-K? (CommonWealth Beacon, March 2026)
• Healey has called for universal pre-K in every Gateway City by the year’s end. Providers say they won’t get there. (CommonWealth Beacon, February 2026)
• Commonwealth Preschool Partnership Initiative (CPPI) (Mass.gov)
• Commonwealth Preschool Partnership Initiative grantees (Mass.gov)
• CPPI data brief, May 2025 (Mass.gov)
• EEC Advisory Council slide deck, September 2026 (Mass.gov)
• Head Start / Early Head Start (Mass.gov)
• Apply for funds to help pay for child care (Mass.gov)
• 603 CMR 28.04: Referral and evaluation (DESE)
• Technical Assistance Advisory SPED 2019-1: Transition from Early Intervention to Early Childhood Special Education (DESE)