$300,000 Donated For New Preschool Tuition Assistance Pilot Program On Nantucket

The Community Foundation for Nantucket unveiled a new preschool tuition assistance pilot program on Tuesday, with three funders committing a total of $300,000 to help offset the high cost of preschool for the island's working families.

The funding will provide direct tuition assistance to any Nantucket family with 3- or 4-year-olds enrolled in licensed Nantucket preschool programs during the 2026–2027 school year. The program is designed to serve approximately 30–60 families, with payments made directly to providers and quarterly reporting to ensure accountability and measurable impact, CFN announced.

"Childcare costs on Nantucket can exceed $20,000 annually, placing significant strain on working families and the island’s workforce," CFN stated in its announcement. "By providing up to $10,000 per eligible child in tuition assistance, this pilot aims to stabilize families, strengthen early education access, and support local employers who depend on a reliable year-round workforce."

The three funders of the pilot program are The Community Foundation for Nantucket, through a Community Investment Grant from the Nantucket Fund, a private Community Foundation donor-advised fund holder, and the Nantucket Golf Club Foundation. Each committed $100,000 to launch the first year of the Preschool Family Support Pilot Program, which will be a partnership with the Town of Nantucket’s Health and Human Services Department.

Sunny Daily, executive director of CFN, told the Current that the town's Health and Human Services Department will administer the application process and that there is no income qualification for the families applying. The town will release the official application details soon, she said. 

“This is exactly the kind of initiative that philanthropy is uniquely positioned to catalyze,” Daily said in a statement released with the program announcement. “By bringing donors together, we can provide immediate relief to families while building the data, outcomes, and community support needed to transition a locally tailored preschool subsidy model into a lasting public investment.”

The new Preschool Family Support Pilot Program follows a proven model already implemented in nine Cape Cod communities, and the hope is to transition to sustainable municipal funding beginning in FY28, subject to Town Meeting approval. The Health and Human Services Department will administer the program, including eligibility verification, direct-to-provider payments, and quarterly and annual reporting on outcomes.

The collective goal of the three funders is not only to support families in the short term but to demonstrate the impact and feasibility of a locally tailored preschool subsidy model that could be adopted through municipal funding beginning in FY28.

“This collaboration reflects a shared belief that investing in early childhood education strengthens the entire community,” said Isabella Day, Administrative Director of the Nantucket Golf Club Foundation. “We are proud to stand alongside the Community Foundation and a committed private donor to help launch a program that can create long-term structural change.”

If approved for municipal funding in 2027, Nantucket would join nine Cape Cod towns that have successfully implemented similar programs, ensuring sustained support for working families for years to come.

Last year, the town appropriated a total of $783,000 in health and human services grant funding to 15 different agencies and non-profits to provide services to the island community. Daily, however, said any future municipal funding for the preschool tuition assistance program is not expected to come from that portion of the town's budget, and that other sources would be used.