Streamlining Voucher Management:
Simplifying the Application Process for Families
______________________________________________________________________________
I. Context
Recent studies of the Massachusetts voucher system indicate that the current subsidy system is
complex and would benefit from streamlining and improved access for families. 1 In addition,
EEC held focus groups with parents and it was determined that parents would prefer to access
services at the place that they visit on a daily basis, e.g. a program in which their child is
enrolled rather than a regional office. Through its March 2009 Income Eligible Child Care
Financial Assistance Request for Response (RFR), EEC explored the possibility of having
contracted providers conduct eligibility determinations for voucher families in their care
through a “pilot” basis. Bidders interested in participating in this proposed pilot program were
asked to indicate their interest when completing the on-line questionnaire. The response was
positive, as 147 out of 194 contracted providers responded they would be interested in
conducting voucher eligibility determinations for all children funded by vouchers (currently
reassessed by CCR&R). A prior Request for Information (RFI) issued by EEC in preparation for
the Income Eligible RFR further revealed support for conducting eligibility determination at a
provider’s child care site; 65 % of the providers who responded to the RFI thought change
would streamline the eligibility determination process and make it less confusing for families,
and 50% indicated that it would be more efficient for providers. Providers noted the need for
additional funding to support the proposed increase of responsibilities.
Recent budget reductions for FY10 appropriations have directly impacted EEC’s Access
Management account, which is comprised of funds allocated for the administration of Child
Care Resource and Referral Services (CCR&R). This particular account was reduced by $3.4M.
As a result of this budget cut, CCR&Rs will experience a 55% reduction in the amount of funding
that they receive from EEC from November 15, 2009 through the end of the fiscal year.
EEC understands that this particular budget cut will directly impact CCR&Rs on-going ability to
perform functions around information and referral and voucher management. In light of these
1
In 2006 the Massachusetts Child Care Voucher Study was released. The study consisted of a three year review
of the voucher management system; the methodology included surveys and interviews with low income families,
CCR&R agency staff, family child care providers and child care center directors. While the study acknowledged the
value of the voucher system, the study concluded that the families had problems navigating the system. For
example, parents commented on employers being unsympathetic to their needs, and having to wait for several
weeks to get appointments with the resource and referral (R&R) agencies. The study recommended that the
system could and should be more accessible to families and less complex.
51 Sleeper Street, 4th Floor, Boston, MA 02210
Phone: 617-988-6600 • Fax: 617-988-2451 • commissioners.office@state.ma.us
www.eec.state.ma.us
cuts, EEC has begun a dialogue with CCR&Rs and contracted providers so that together a
collective strategy can be developed to balance the severity of the Commonwealth’s fiscal crisis
with the need to continue critical services to families. Part of this strategy includes a
determination as to what functions can be transferred to another entity, eliminated and/or
made more efficient. In light of the research already underway, streamlining the voucher
management system has become a focus in this strategy.
II. Proposal
EEC has identified Income Eligible voucher reassessment as one particular function that can be
made more efficient by reassigning a portion of it from the CCR&Rs to contracted, center-based
providers and contracted Family Child Care Systems that currently enroll children with vouchers
in their programs. Voucher reassessments occur at least annually, at or near the expiration of
a parent’s voucher, or when there is a change in the parent’s income, service need or family
composition status that affects the eligibility of the voucher recipient. Center-based providers
and Family Child Care Systems are currently responsible for determining eligibility for their
contracted slots. The transfer of this voucher reassessment function to center-based providers
and Family Child Care Systems will require providers to collect forms and documentation in
advance of voucher expiration or when there is a change in status in order to conduct eligibility
and to determine parent fees and the voucher period, consistent with what they currently do
for families enrolled in contracted slots. CCR&Rs would continue to provide voucher
management for independent family child care providers, voucher only center-based providers,
in-home non-relative providers, and financial assistance for specialized populations, such as
families involved with the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) and the Department of
Children and Families (DCF).
EEC proposes that the transfer of Income Eligible voucher reassessment functions be limited to
the 147 center-based providers and Family Child Care Systems who responded affirmatively to
the RFR question. This group currently holds EEC contracts and is therefore familiar with
eCCIMS and with many of the reassessment functions; the projected roll out date for a transfer
of these functions to these 147 center-based providers and Family Child Care Systems is
January 1, 2010. Whether to allow center-based providers that do not have any EEC contracts,
but have voucher service agreements, to assume this function may be considered in the future.
The income eligible voucher management function constitutes approximately 46% of the
overall CCR&R voucher caseload.2 With regard to the Income Eligible voucher caseload, EEC
data indicates that 50% of voucher children are placed with providers or Family Child Care
Systems that hold contracts with EEC. The following reflects the September, 2009 caseload
data for EEC vouchers:
2
While 50% of the CCR&R voucher caseload involves DTA clients, DTA families are authorized through DTA.
Pursuant to a streamlining policy, CCR&Rs do not conduct eligibility assessments for DTA clients, e.g., CCR&Rs do
not “look behind” the DTA Beacon Authorization. Reassessments for DTA and DCF families transitioning to income
eligible child care are conducted in accordance with the length of the authorization provided by DTA and DCF
respectively.
2
Funding Stream
total # voucher
children served
# voucher children enrolled
w/ contracted provider
DTA
Income Eligible
DCF
18,356
16,751
1,234
8,878
8,292*
602
* EEC data indicates that of these 8,292 income eligible voucher cases, approximately 5,514
voucher children are enrolled with providers who indicated their interest in conducting voucher
eligibility assessments.
In addition to alleviating 50% of the CCR&R income eligible caseload, allowing parents to
compete the reassessment process with their children’s provider or local family child care
system would eliminate wait times for CCR&R appointments and reduce multiple visits by
families to a regional CCR&R office to provide missing documentation.
III. Incentives/ Transitional funding
EEC recognizes that the proposed voucher reassessment function transfer will likely result in a
new business model and additional administrative costs to center-based providers and Family
Child Care Systems. In order to address the expected financial burden, the Department
proposes that American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds be utilized so that
providers and Systems receive a one-time stipend to assist them to implement and manage
voucher reassessment. [See attached memorandum on proposed usage of ARRA funding.]
Alternatively, EEC may consider converting a percentage of vouchers to contract slots to
increase the stability of funding for the contracted providers that assume this voucher
reassessment function.
IV. The Process/ IT Challenges and Solutions
By having contracted providers conduct the Income Eligible voucher reassessments, this would
avoid requiring parents to travel back and forth to regional CCR&R offices to complete eligibility
assessments (as is the current practice), and would also avoid having contracted providers and
CCR&Rs mail eligibility documentation back and forth to each other (as has been recently
proposed). Rather, contracted providers would follow the process that they currently follow in
determining eligibility for families enrolled in their programs through contracted slots.
Specifically, the providers would collect the eligibility documentation from the parents (e.g.,
service need, income need, and household composition documentation), enter the data into
eCCIMS, and execute with the parents a Financial Assistance Application and Fee Agreement.
One added step in this process that differs from the contract assessments is that the providers
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would electronically submit to their local CCR&R the completed eCCIMS record, and the CCR&R
would electronically issue a voucher based on the parent’s completed eCCIMS record. The
CCR&R function in this scenario would be reduced to minor data entry into CCIMS to issue the
voucher, which should take minutes to complete.
In addition, as specified in the attached proposal, the Department proposes using up to
$150,000 in ARRA funding for IT development to help streamline the system by making short
term enhancements to eCCIMS to allow for this process, as well as some longer term
enhancements that would increase eCCIMS and CCIMS compatibility. Short term
enhancements will consist of transferring wait list management from the CCR&Rs to EEC’s
Regional Offices, developing an on-line report to notify providers of upcoming assessments,
developing the voucher eligibility component within eCCIMS, as well as providing for the email
exchange of eligibility documentation between providers and CCR&Rs. Long term
enhancements would include development of an attendance collection module and billing
module for voucher management within eCCIMS, allowing contracted providers to maintain
and manage these functions directly with EEC. In addition, we would explore the possibility of
using a portion of this ARRA IT funding to develop audit software (similar to what is used in
other states, such as Arkansas) to conduct risk assessments and increase targeted monitoring
efforts to contracted providers to ensure that they are billing correctly and conducting eligibility
assessments in accordance with EEC’s requirements.
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