A real path, made readable.

MA Care Ladder is a free career roadmap for young adults (roughly 18–25) in Massachusetts who are figuring out what's next — and want to know if a career working with kids could actually be it.

Most career advice for early childhood assumes you've already decided you want to teach, or already have an associate's degree. Most of the people we built this for haven't, and don't. So we wrote a different kind of guide: five clear steps, what each one really pays, what it takes to start, and exactly what you can do this week to take a step.

How we built it

The credentials, age requirements, training hours, and licensing rules are pulled from the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) and related state agencies. Pay ranges are typical Massachusetts ranges, not promises — your city and your employer will move them up or down.

We deliberately chose to keep this state-wide for the first version. The same EEC rules apply in Boston, Lowell, Springfield, Worcester, Beverly, and everywhere else in MA. City-specific overlays — local employers, transit, training providers — are on the roadmap.

Important disclaimer

Rules change. Always confirm the current EEC requirements with mass.gov/eec or a licensed program before you make a big decision (going back to school, signing a lease for a center, leaving a job). This site is a starting map, not legal or licensing advice.