FY15 Aspirational Budget
Presentation to the EEC Board
November 12, 2013
EEC State Budget History
$560
$553.43
(Amount in Millions)
$540
$537.23
$520
$509.28
$508.59
$500
$495.97
$495.18
$480
$460
$479.22
$462.16
$440
FY2006
2
$505.35
FY2007
FY2008
FY2009
FY2010
FY2011
FY2012
FY2013
FY2014
FY14 EEC Budget
Line Item
Descriptor
FY14 GAA
3000-1000
Administration
$ 12,844,972
3000-2000
3000-3000
3000-3050
Access Management
$
5,873,862
$
250,000
$ 76,991,445
3000-4050
3000-4060
Innovative curriculum in preschool programs
Supportive
TANF Related Child Care
Income Eligible Child Care
$ 128,063,499
$ 222,840,742
3000-4065
Early Education Provider Quality Enhancements
$
3000-4070
Waitlist Remediation
$ 15,000,000
3000-5000
Grants to Head Start
$
8,100,000
3000-5075
UPK
$
7,500,000
3000-6075
Mental Health
$
750,000
3000-7050
Services for Infants and Parents
$ 18,164,890
3000-7070
Reach Out and Read
$
1599-0500
XXXX-XXXX
Caseload Study
Salary Rate Reserve
$
500,000
$ 11,500,000
150,000
800,000
$ 509,329,410
3
Recommendations
This presentation offers the following recommendations made by the Fiscal
Committee to request $93,685,151 as the FY15 Aspirational Budget request.
An Investment in Access: $74,205,523
•
Investment in DCF: The creation of a pilot to provide vouchers for 500
children at a cost of $6,618,810 will provide access for children on the
waitlist with a strong emphasis in rural areas.
•
Investment in IE: An additional $50,000,000 will remove no fewer than
5,784 children from the waitlist.
•
Transportation: The request for $17,586,713 affirms the Board’s vote in
June 2012 to increase the rate paid for transportation to support
improvements in the system and the addition of one adult monitor on all
vehicles carrying infants, toddlers, and preschool children.
4
An Investment in Quality: $19,479,628
Aligned with our mission and our Strategic Plan, we will invest in quality through
and by the following:
•
Investment in Workforce Quality: A rate increase of 3% or $13,657,652
supports an increase in salaries, benefits, and stipends for child care
workers.
•
Investment in Quality Program Sustainability / Quality Rating Improvement
System (QRIS): A set-aside of $5,000,000 supports our investment in QRIS
and helps sustain program improvements supporting children in care.
•
Quality Infrastructure: $821,976 to support staffing which holds child care
providers accountable for health and safety, quality care, and quality
programs.
ACCESS: DCF
EEC currently manages DCF child care through contracted and expansion
slots.
5
EEC Contracted & Expansion
Slots
Current Status (as of 11/5/13)
EEC awarded 4,753 DCF slots to
Contracted Providers
4,407 (93% filled)
801 expansion units available
for use
787 (98% filled)
5,554 slots available in total
5,194 (93.52% filled)

The DCF waitlist is maintained by 29 Area Offices which periodically report
the waitlist number via Survey Monkey.

Most recent report shows approximately 625 children on the “placement
waitlist”.

DCF has 22,000 open cases and believes that a large percentage of these
open cases would receive child care if it were available.

Questions for consideration are: How can we determine true need? How
can access be improved?
ACCESS: DCF

EEC supports the construction of a credible DCF waitlist to build a long term
financing model to support the need represented by the waitlist.

We further support financing that supports DCF’s best estimate that satisfies their
near term need.

In the absence of a credible waitlist number, but aware of the need, EEC proposes a
pilot program which makes vouchers available to all contract providers.

The vouchers will be managed by EEC and will be given to providers who can prove
the need to provide service to a DCF child above their contract allocation.

A particular emphasis will be on the delivery of these vouchers to children in Western
Massachusetts.

The voucher pilot program helps to get satisfying the state mandate to serve all
children.

We propose serving 500 children at a cost of $6,618,810.
Cost of Waitlist Reduction by Average Cost Per Child
Number of Children
6
Supportive
500
$
6,618,810
1,000
$
13,237,620
1,500
$
19,856,430
2,000
$
26,475,240
ACCESS: Income Eligible (IE)

The addition of $50,000,000 to the Income Eligible Caseload account will provide service
to an additional 5,784 children on the waitlist.

EEC proposes that we should open up access for the waitlist on a first come first serve
basis.

This is the logical next step to waitlist remediation begun in FY14.

The addition of 5,784 children to the IE account will return us to historical levels of 55,000
to 56,000 children annually.

We still have the need. There are presently 42,000 children on the waitlist.
Cost of Waitlist Reduction by Average
Cost
Number of Children
7
Inco me Elig ib le
5,0 0 0
$
4 3 ,2 2 3 ,8 8 5
5,78 4
$
50 ,0 0 0 ,0 0 0
10 ,0 0 0
$
8 6 ,4 4 7,76 9
2 0 ,0 0 0
$
172 ,8 9 5,53 9
4 0 ,0 0 0
$
3 4 5,79 1,0 77
Caseload Waitlist 11/2012 - 10/2013
Priority
Child of Foster Care
Child of Homeless family
Child of Military Personnel
Child of Teen Parent
Child with Special Needs
Continuity of Care: Prior Year Summer Only
Continuity of Care: Aging Out
Continuity of Care: Approved Break in Service
Continuity of Care: ARRA
Continuity of Care: Geographic Relocation
Continuity of Care: Homeless Contract
Continuity of Care: Supportive Referral
Continuity of Care: Teen Parent Contract
General Priority
Grandparent/Guardian Families
No Priority - Other Family Member
Parent with Special Needs
Sibling: Contract
Sibling: Voucher
Summer only care
N/A
Grand Total
11/30/12 12/31/12 01/31/13 02/28/13 3/28/13 4/30/13 5/28/13 6/30/13 7/31/2013 8/30/13 9/26/13 10/30/13
Total
Total
Total
Total
Total
Total
Total
Total
Total
Total
Total
Total
276
282
288
290
285
289
299
305
169
180
194
196
520
536
558
566
576
591
609
641
454
458
487
479
101
105
116
116
123
117
90
91
68
44
43
49
477
481
489
513
507
523
525
556
365
389
423
414
2,117
2,198
2,234
2,291
2,355
2,442
2,524
2,615
1,776
1,893
1,922
1,816
120
135
149
161
164
167
173
177
139
151
163
157
409
411
402
398
399
404
414
416
205
248
274
253
442
451
470
473
482
490
523
585
484
493
530
502
146
149
148
146
141
142
143
141
51
54
60
52
182
186
198
201
207
221
222
224
145
154
161
159
25
27
29
32
31
30
37
35
29
30
29
29
269
279
288
296
308
324
352
371
256
265
284
280
32
32
28
27
28
28
29
30
16
18
22
24
39,470
40,431
41,722
42,588 43,315
44,861
45,970
47,737
32,881
34,266
35,725
34,708
541
547
565
566
576
584
609
632
349
344
350
345
282
295
314
327
338
363
393
422
357
381
411
401
805
806
805
807
807
823
840
837
436
424
426
381
654
672
714
729
771
788
804
850
737
753
792
775
788
804
833
845
870
815
792
797
544
566
542
435
899
893
919
923
958
1,024
1,074
1,233
853
856
863
879
556
541
523
518
509
501
500
495
4
6
16
14
48,555
49,720
51,269
52,295
53,241
55,026
56,422
Data Report created on October 30, 2013
** Excludes Unborn children, Children 13 or older, “0” zip codes and towns out of state
.
8
58,695
40,318
41,973
43,717
42,348
TRANSPORTATION COST
In June 2012 the Board voted as follows:
Subject to a supplemental budget appropriation the Board
approves an increased transportation provider reimbursement
rate of $16.51 for round trip transportation and $11.11 for oneway transportation for all infants, toddlers, and preschool age
children with the requirement that, if the recommended
reimbursement rate increase is funded, entities that receive
transportation payment from EEC for infants, toddlers, and
preschool age children must dedicate one adult monitor on all
vehicles. The transportation rate of $9.00 per day round trip and
$6.00 per day for one way transportation will remain in effect for
all transportation providers that transport school age children.
9
TRANSPORTATION


10
TRANSPORTATION: $17,586,713
The last transportation rate increase was in May 2006 when the
one way rate increased from $5 to $6 and the round trip rate
increased from $7.50 to $9.00.

The rate of $16.51 per round trip makes providers whole for the
staff time already directed to satisfying the following
recommendations:
 Management Responsibility
 Parent Notification
 Passenger Logs
 Secondary Vehicle Inspection

AND places an adult monitor on vehicles based on the number of
children, ages, and length of routes.

Vehicle monitoring devices will not be required.
RATE INCREASE
FY14 Consolidated Net Increase



EEC has received $11.5M as part of the Consolidated Net Surplus
(CNS) to dedicate to an across the board rate increase for all
center based, family child care providers, and family child care
systems.
This is roughly a raise of $.78 on the daily rate.
The rate increase will be retroactive to July 1, 2013.
Market Rate Survey
 A key finding from the recently completed Market Rate Survey is
that reimbursement rates are significantly below the 75th price
percentiles for all age groups in all regions of the state.
 A comparison of EEC after-school rates and market prices finds
that reimbursement rates are below the 75th price percentiles in
all regions and are below the 50th percentiles in all regions,
except for the Western Region.
11
RATE INCREASE
Rate Increase: $13,657,652

The cost of a 3% rate increase as a separate cost for each of the
caseload accounts is as follows:
IE: $7,274,381
 DTA: $4,031,960
 DCF: $2,351,311

12

This is the equivalent of an $.82 addition to the daily rate.

Prior to the rate increase to be implemented this year, the last
rate increase was March 2009 when we gave .45%.

We will implement the same policy for the rate increase as used
in FY09: “This increase shall be directed to expenditures for
salaries, benefits, and stipends for professional development of
early education and care workers or other programmatic quality
improvements.”
Program Quality and Improvement
QUALITY PROGRAMS: $5,000,000

Approximately 5,200 programs/providers are participating in QRIS,
representing half of our licensed programs. Additionally, we have 325 public
school programs (license-exempt) also participating in QRIS.

1,361 of these programs have been granted a Level 2 status, and 5 of these
programs are rated a Level 3 pending the successful completion of their
Environment Rating Scales (ERS) classroom observations.

139,090 children (full and part time) are enrolled in a QRIS rated program
(self-reported by program/provider):





13
Infants: 7,480
Toddlers: 19,082
Preschoolers: 67,414
Kindergarteners: 5,430
School Aged Children: 39,684

44,037 of these children are on EEC Subsidies (contracted or voucher slots)

Licensed capacity of programs participating in QRIS is 138,133 (enrollment
exceeds capacity because a full time slot may be utilized by more than one
child on a part time basis.)
Program Quality and Improvement
Accountability and Monitoring
Results from the first ERS classroom observations indicate that programs that
have applied for a Level 3 status are of higher quality than the standard quality
found in the general population of child care programs. This includes findings from
MA specific studies, including the Boston Quality Inventory and the MA School
Readiness Study. It is important to note that programs still need support in the
areas of personal care routines and in providing children with a variety of play
activities for a meaningful quantity of classroom time.
Development of Inter-Rater Reliability Protocols - $500,000
Standards and accountability are necessary, but not sufficient to generate quality
improvement. An essential element of a QRIS is the support offered to QRIS support
staff (Program Quality Specialists, EPS Grantees, CCR&R Grantees, coaches and
mentors, etc.) to ensure consistent quality of the QRIS standards as well as the
reporting of program QRIS levels to the consumer. Development of inter-rater
reliability protocols will allow EEC to contract with an experienced vendor to:




14
Create consistent delivery of QRIS technical assistance.
Build a uniform practice for program/provider site visits and monitoring.
Create a system for standardized application verification.
Maintain on-going monitoring, guidance and quality checks.
Program Quality and Improvement
Environment Rating Scale (ERS) Classroom Observations - $500,000
The Environment Rating Scales is a research backed instrument that has been used
to measure program quality for over two decades. Classroom observation facilitated
by an ERS Reliable Rater is a vital component of the MA QRIS, accounting for
measurement of 8 CBSB standards, 9 FCC standards, and 13 ASOST standards.
Programs that self-assess in the upper tiers of the system are held accountable for
quality through successful completion of a classroom/program observation by a
certified ERS Reliable Rater.
Family Child Care QRIS Validation Study - $1,000,000
EEC has initiated a QRIS Validation Study with CBSB programs; however, we
delayed inclusion of FCC providers in order to allow them adequate time to move
into the upper tiers of QRIS. Validation of the MA QRIS for our FCC providers will
determine:
• Whether the system’s tiers (levels) accurately reflect different levels of quality.
• Whether the levels of quality are aligned with Center Based/School Based
•
15
program quality.
To what extent those levels of quality are associated with children’s learning
and developmental growth trajectories.
Program Quality and Improvement
Provider Support and Sustainability
QRIS Professional Development - $3,000,000
Professional Development requirements are a key component to MA QRIS, accounting for the
measurement method of 21 CBSB standards, 14 FCC standards and 14 ASOST standards. Despite
the strong link between early childhood educator qualifications and improved child outcomes, the
capacity to educate all MA early childhood educators and providers remains one of the largest
challenges for program movement toward the upper tiers of QRIS.
Highest Level of Education
November 4, 2013
Some High
School
QRIS exemptions for Professional
Development and Workforce Requirements
have been, and continue to remain,
a consistent request from programs
and providers.
11,928
High School
3,753
7,085
CDA
16,299
17,797
16,141
7,719
1,150
Some College
Associate's
Degree
Bachelor's
Degree
Graduate
Degree
16
Program Quality and Improvement

17
Ongoing training and support are essential to the knowledge, acquisition, and
continued growth of early childhood educators and providers. Increased support
for QRIS Professional development will allow EEC to:

Develop standardized QRIS orientations for each of the QRIS levels (1-4).

Offer regional trainings that are essential in understanding QRIS
measurement methods.

Offer content specific trainings that support the five QRIS categories.

Adapt professional development opportunities to an on-line format, thereby
supporting a greater number of educators and providers for a lower cost.

Payment for substitute teachers while the classroom teachers are receiving
professional development.
INFRASTRUCTURE COST
In November, 2010, the Board recommended the staffing pattern presented below.
Salary
Child Care Licensing Specialist *
$50,265
16
Director of Operations
$85,276
1
Director of Community Partnership and
Outreach
$75,000
1
$75,000
$76,000
$61,303
$61,303
$61,303
$61,303
$59,292
1
1
1
1
2
2
3
29
Director of Policy, Evaluation & Research
Deputy General Counsel
Policy Analyst - QRIS **
Policy Analyst - Generalist
Family/Community Quality Specialist
Educator Provider Support Specialist
Audit Resolution: Fiscal Monitor ***
Total FY15
* Licensing Specialists; priority to fill positions
** Position funded in RTTT; will end 12/2015.
*** One postion funded by Federal Grant RTTT
18
Board
Rec'd FTE
INFRASTRUCTURE: FTE Update 2014

At the beginning of FY14 we had 153.45 approved FTEs. (We have a
discrepancy of .20 with ANF.)

Administration and Finance has approved eight (8) additional positions as
part of EEC’s FY14 budget:
•
•
•
•
19
Chief of Staff: Hired
Deputy General Counsel: Hired with early permission
Licensors (5): Positions posted
Caseload Budget Manager: Interviews in process

Our revised current FTE total is 161.65 (prior to hiring fingerprinting staff).

Because of the new responsibilities placed on EEC relative to the
fingerprinting law, Administration and Finance has approved eleven (11)
additional positions to fulfill EEC’s responsibilities relative to fingerprinting
as follows:
•
Program Coordinators (5): These positions will handle the
administrative aspect of the BRC process: tracking, updating, mailing,
and filing results. They will provide TA to programs and applicants.
•
Reviewers (5): These positions will review discretionary applications
and review rationales for decisions.
INFRASTRUCTURE
FY15 Request for New Positions
FIELD STAFF

Assistant Deputy Commissioner for Field Operations (1): $80,000
•

Licensors (5): $57,000
•
20
The Deputy Director of Field Operations for EEC is responsible for the
management of the day to day operations of the licensing, policy
implementation, and regional office functions for a geographical area of
the Commonwealth. This management responsibility requires setting
priorities, deploying resources, directing and guiding agency direct
service staff, and assuring consistency in operations amongst regional
offices and licensing units. This management responsibility also includes
maintaining the integrity of the policy, licensing, investigations, and
regulatory compliance functions through monitoring and maintaining
effective internal controls and quality assurance processes.
The licensing specialists will provide support to the programs the agency
licenses in order to provide quality early learning environments for the
250,000 Massachusetts children the agency is responsible for. The
current caseload ratio for family child care licensors is 280 licenses to 1
licensor. In group child care the ratio is 104 licenses to 1 licensor. The
addition of 5 licensing staff will reduce the caseload ratios to
approximately 250 to 1 for family child care and 85 to 1 for group child
care. This would bring Massachusetts closer to the recommended
national standards of 75 to 1 for family child care and 50 to 1 for group
child care.
INFRASTRUCTURE
FY15 Request for New Positions
FINANCE UNIT

21
Fiscal and Grant Monitors / Auditors (2): $66,000
•
Ensure that funding awarded by EEC through grants is spent
according to the requirements of the grant, the terms and conditions
of the contract, and according to the applicable regulations of the
state oversight agency (Office of the State Comptroller, OSC) as well
as federal regulations.
•
Review grantee budgets and expenditures to ensure that the
requirements of the grants are met.
•
Conduct site visits to Contracted Providers and Child Care Resource
and Referral agencies to determine compliance with the
Commonwealth’s budgeting and pricing regulations and terms of the
provider’s/CCRR contract.
•
Conduct reviews of all contract provider and CCRR attendance and
billing policies and providers oversight to any potential double billing
occurrences.
INFRASTRUCTURE
FY15 Request for New Positions

22
Transportation Monitor (1): $54,000
•
Ensure that funding awarded by EEC for transportation services is
spent according to the requirements of the grant, the terms and
conditions of the contract, according to the applicable regulations of
the state oversight agency (Office of the State Comptroller, OSC),
Registry of Motor Vehicles and other federal regulations.
•
Monitor transportation subcontract agreement between EEC Contract
Providers, Child Care Resource and Referral agencies, and
transportation companies to ensure that the requirements of the
funding are met.
•
Conduct site visits and desk review with contracted providers and
Child Care Resource and Referral agencies to determine compliance
with Transportation polices and oversight plans, passenger logs,
billing, and attendance.
•
Oversight of training requirements, monitoring of drivers in the PQR,
and revision of policies as necessary.
INFRASTRUCTURE
FY15 Request for New Positions
POLICY UNIT

Director of Workforce and Special Projects (1): $73,000
•
•
•
•
23
Oversee the Educator and Provider Regional Partnerships, which
includes 5 Educator Provider Support (EPS) Regional grantees.
Plan monthly EPS grantee meetings and EPS Liaison meetings.
Supervise 3 EPS liaisons at Central Office and the Professional
Qualifications Unit which includes 3 Teacher Qualifications Specialists.
Coordinate and oversee all Professional Development opportunities
including the PD Calendar and PQ Registry.
INFRASTRUCTURE
FY15 Request for New Positions

Director of QRIS (1): $68,000
•
•
•
•

Program Quality Specialists (2): $65,000
•
•
24
Support the MA QRIS through analysis, project development,
implementation, fiscal oversight, coordination and communication.
Ensure that the five key elements of the MA QRIS are embedded in
standards, plans, and policies that guide QRIS development across
the mixed delivery system.
Facilitate monthly program Quality Specialist Unit meetings, including
development of agendas and assignments of QRIS related projects
and tasks.
Coordinate activities to produce RFP and other competitive bidding
processes required for the implementation of the MA QRIS. Design
public awareness and consumer education program to ensure families
are knowledgeable about QRIS.
Provide technical assistance to educators and providers in an assigned
region. Develop an understanding of unique community needs and act
as a liaison for programs, providers, schools, EPS grantees, and
Readiness Centers.
Review QRIS applications by programs and verify self-assessed level
of standards and documentation. In coordination with EEC regional
Licensors, conducts site visits to programs to provide technical
assistance for efforts to improve quality. Plan, prepare, and conduct
QRIS training sessions.
Cost of New Positions
FY15 ASPIRATIONAL BUDGET STAFFING
Total Funds
Needed
Salary
FIELD STAFF
Assistant Deputy Commissioner for Field Operations
1
Licensors
5
$
$
80,000.00
57,164.64
$
$
80,000.00
285,823.20
2
1
$
$
65,776.62
53,908.66
$
$
131,553.24
53,908.66
1
1
2
$
$
$
73,207.18
67,706.23
64,888.72
$
$
$
73,207.18
67,706.23
129,777.44
$
821,975.95
FISCAL and FINANCE
Fiscal and Grant Monitors / Auditors
Transportation Monitors
POLICY
Director of Workforce & Special Projects
Director of QRIS
Program Quality Specialists
13
25
Proposed FY15 EEC Budget
Descriptor
Administration
New Staff
Access Management
Innovative
Curriculum in
Proposed FY15
Budget
$
13,094,875.00
$
821,976.00
$
6,573,862.00
3000-4050
Preschool
Supportive
Additional Supportive
TANF Related Child Care
$
$
$
$
250,000.00
78,977,039.00
6,618,810.00
134,398,656.00
3000-4060
Income Eligible Child Care
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
237,198,643.00
50,000,000.00
13,657,652.00
17,586,713.00
14,300,000.00
8,100,000.00
7,500,000.00
750,000.00
18,164,890.00
5,000,000.00
750,000.00
613,743,116.00
Line Item
3000-1000
3000-2000
3000-3000
3000-3050
Additional Income Eligible
Rate Increase
26
3000-4070
3000-5000
3000-5075
3000-6075
3000-7050
Transportation
Waitlist Remediation
Grants to Head Start
UPK
Mental Health
Services for Infants and Parents
3000-7070
Quality
Reach Out and Read