Children, Families
& Veterans
“Families are the future. If we don’t create policies that support and uplift children and caregivers, we will fail the next generation.
Any society should be judged on how we honor those who’ve served. I’m proud that Massachusetts has the strongest veterans’ benefits in the nation.”
— Julian Cyr
A Healthy Childhood
PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM LEAD POISONING
Since his days working at the Department of Public Health (DPH), Julian has been a passionate advocate for action to prevent children from exposure to lead. Lead paint still covers the walls of far too many homes, especially for low-income families living in substandard housing across the Commonwealth. While Massachusetts has a nation-leading pediatric screening program for lead poisoning in children, we continue to fall behind on resources to further de-lead our housing stock in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods and provide services to exposed children. Julian helped bolster funding for the childhood lead poisoning prevention program by over $2 million dollars and increased the tax credit for lead abatement.
GRANDPARENTS RAISING GRANDCHILDREN
Multigenerational families are common on Cape Cod and the Islands, in many cases due to family trauma exacerbated by the opioid epidemic. Senator Cyr has filed legislation and secured funding to empower grandparents raising their grandchildren and prepare them to be successful guardians as they shoulder the challenge of raising children again. He also serves as the Senate’s representative on the Massachusetts Commission on Grandparents Raising Grandchildren.
CHILDREN’S ADVOCACY CENTERS
Children's Advocacy Centers are facilities where law enforcement, educators, developmental psychologists, and advocates can collaborate in caring for young victims of severe abuse. Senator Cyr secured a stable funding stream for Children's Cove: The Cape and Islands Child Advocacy Center and then worked with colleagues to expand funding for Children’s Advocacy Centers across the state where similarly vital work takes place. Our communities only work if we care for our most vulnerable and give them the opportunities to succeed. Senator Cyr will not let children who have already faced some of the worst experiences in their young lives be left behind.
FOOD ACCESS
In one of the wealthiest countries on Earth, there is no excuse for children to wake up or go to bed hungry. Senator Cyr has made food security for Massachusetts children an important part of his legislative portfolio. He’s filed amendments to further integrate SNAP and WIC benefits with local farmers' markets and also voted for Breakfast After the Bell legislation, expanding the ability of schools to provide kids with healthy meals. Julian also helped secure resources to expand farmers’ markets in Barnstable and Dukes counties, enabling sustainably sourced food to be served in local community centers and schools.
Opening Pathways to Parentage
In August 2024, Governor Healey signed into law the Massachusetts Parentage Act, championed by Senator Cyr. The bill removes barriers and ensures the equal right to parentage every child should have, unhindered by marital status, gender identity, sexual orientation, or circumstances of birth. Massachusetts was the last state in New England to update its antiquated and outdated parentage laws. This effort was a long time coming and wouldn’t have been passed without Julian!
Education
FREE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Senator Cyr was proud to support the passage of the MassEducate program, a key Senate priority in the Fiscal Year 2025 budget. Massachusetts residents who have never earned a degree will now be able to enroll in any of the state's nation-leading community colleges free of charge, and some students will be provided with a stipend for books and supplies. This program will allow for many of my constituents to change their lives through education, access or enter a new field of work, get a leg up in a tough job market, and provide for those dependent upon them.
SUPPORTING STUDENTS REGARDLESS OF ZIP CODE
Public schools bring young families to the district and make sure that every child on Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket receives the education that they deserve, regardless of their ZIP code. Senator Cyr has filed legislation to ensure that low-income school districts are funded fairly and have the resources to help their students succeed.
Julian supported the Student Opportunity Act, which invested $1.5 billion in K-12 public education. The law provides significant aid to school districts that serve English language learners and high concentrations of low-income students. School districts across the Commonwealth benefit from the updates to the existing funding formula, along with increased state investments in vital education aid programs.
Julian is pleased that the new tax revenue from the recently passed Fair Share Amendment promises to bolster education investments even further so that Massachusetts remains a national leader in public education.
RURAL EDUCATION ACCESS
Julian is a strong supporter of providing all schools, especially rural schools, with the funding they need. He helped secure millions in supplemental funding for rural schools in addition to the increased investments made in the Student Opportunity Act. One of the key investments secured in the Student Opportunity Act, for which Julian advocated, was additional state support for school transportation, a burdensome cost for our regional school districts.
EARLY EDUCATION
Early education and child care have become among the biggest burdens facing families, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic. With Senator Cyr’s support, the Senate passed the Common Start bill, legislation that would establish a much-needed framework to help families access high-quality, affordable early education and child care. That bill is now law. Julian will continue fighting to help alleviate that burden for working families.
Supporting Our Veterans
INCREASING ACCESS TO SERVICES
Many of our residents who serve in the National Guard and reserves on the front lines and are deployed overseas during natural disasters. Julian believes their service should be honored like those on active duty. In 2018, Julian amended the BRAVE Act to include a study on expanding the definition of 'veteran' to include those who have served in the Guard and reserves. This study brought together the secretaries of the Executive Office of Veterans Services, the Executive Office of Administration and Finance, and the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security to assess the feasibility and costs of this expansion. The results of this study have prompted significant changes to the definition of a ‘veteran’, which now includes both reservists and National Guard members called to active federal duty for purposes other than training. Julian’s amendment has helped veterans’ programs and services reach new individuals who work tirelessly to protect our well-being.
EXPANDING VETERANS’ BENEFITS
Julian was a proud supporter of the HERO Act, which was signed into law in August 2024. This act marked a comprehensive and compassionate change to the services offered to support the hundreds of thousands of veterans in our state and their families. Veterans will now be eligible for reimbursement for outpatient behavioral health treatment. Public schools must provide support services to military-connected students while parents or guardians are on active duty. Access and flexibility have been increased for property and sales tax exemptions, recognizing the fiscal needs of those who have served. By investing in the expansion of benefits, Julian believes that we are now better supporting the transition from active duty to civilian life and closing gaps that been so burdensome to affected families.
INVESTING IN VALUABLE PROGRAMS
Julian has fought for fair and equitable state support for veterans services on the Cape and Islands. He has secured over $400,000 in funding for the Cape Cod and Islands Veterans Outreach Center to bolster their outreach and nutrition assistance programs, which make such tangible impacts in the lives of veterans who need it most. Julian also secured expanded funding to establish a veterans court in Barnstable County.
