Fisher College Awarded $250,000 GROW Grant

First-of-Its-Kind Initiative Will Open College Pathways for 57 Early Childhood Professionals Across Massachusetts

BOSTON, MA | May 2026 | Fisher College is proud to announce it has been awarded a $250,000 GROW Grant through the Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Standards, Massachusetts Apprenticeship, and the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care (EEC). The funding will support the launch of the Fisher Childcare Apprenticeship Program, known as FCAP, an initiative designed to meet early childhood professionals where they are and open real, sustainable pathways into higher education. FCAP will specifically target and serve apprentices in childcare deserts across Massachusetts, bringing higher education access to communities and professionals who have historically had the fewest resources and the greatest need.

FCAP will serve 57 apprentices, both new educators entering the early childhood field, and current practitioners looking to deepen their knowledge and advance their careers. The program embeds nine college credits of coursework directly into the apprenticeship experience through three courses: Introduction to Education, Child Growth and Development, and a choice between Infant/Toddler Curricula or Preschool Curricula. Alongside their coursework, apprentices will develop and strengthen on-the-job skills in real early childhood settings, building the kind of practice-grounded competence the field urgently needs. As part of the apprenticeship agreement, participating employers commit to providing wage increases to their apprentices, a meaningful investment in a field defined by systemic workforce shortages, and some of the lowest wages in the education sector.

"The early childhood field is in crisis, not because the people in it lack dedication or skill, but because for too long the systems around them have not reflected their worth," said Dr. Cheryl Hovey, Program Director of Early Childhood Education at Fisher College. "FCAP is one answer to that. When we can offer a working educator college credit, a wage increase, and a credential pathway all at once, we are doing something that actually moves the needle. The staffing shortage will not be solved by talking about it. It will be solved by investing in the people who are already there, already showing up, already changing lives. That is what this grant allows us to do, and I am deeply humbled to be part of it."

Dr. Hovey has led the Early Childhood Education program through a period of significant and intentional growth. Under her leadership, the program expanded from an associate degree to a full bachelor's degree, launched new concentrations in Human Services and Early Childhood Education, and developed 16-credit and 30-credit certificate pathways, creating multiple entry and exit points for professionals at every stage of their career.

Completion of the FCAP apprenticeship program opens the door to a robust opportunity pathway at Fisher College. Apprentices may be eligible for prior learning credit based on their work experience, and those who hold a Child Development Associate credential may apply for transfer of credit toward their degree. Fisher College also offers matriculated students a 40% institutional scholarship, which can be combined with the Massachusetts EEC state scholarship, significantly reducing the financial barriers that have long kept working educators out of higher education.

None of this happens in isolation. Dr. Hovey has worked closely and collaboratively with Fisher's Online, Graduate and Professional Studies team and Office of Advancement and Alumni Engagement to build programming that is responsive, accessible, and grounded in what the field actually needs. That partnership is at the heart of FCAP.

Fisher College extends sincere appreciation to the colleagues whose dedication made this grant possible:

Lynne Robinson, Vice President, Online, Graduate and Professional Studies

Richard Potter, M.Ed., Senior Director, Enrollment Management and Administration, Graduate and Professional Studies

Melissa Benson, M.Ed., Senior Director, Academic Programs and Services, Online, Graduate and Professional Studies

Alex Laser, M.Ed., Director of Advancement and Alumni Engagement

Dr. Hovey reflects on what this milestone means for the field: "Childcare deserts are a daily reality for families across Massachusetts who cannot find quality care, and for educators who want to build careers in this field but have had no clear pathway forward. FCAP is one answer to that. High-quality early childhood education does not happen by accident. It happens when skilled, supported, educated professionals show up every day for the youngest children in our communities. That is what FCAP is built to make possible."

FCAP is more than a grant-funded initiative. It is a reflection of what Fisher College believes: that the people who show up every day for young children in Massachusetts deserve an institution that shows up for them in return.

For more information about FCAP or Fisher College's Early Childhood Education programs, please visit www.fisher.edu or contact the Office of Advancement and Alumni Engagement.