Access Needs as Defined
by the EEC Wait List
Board Meeting
September 18, 2012
Goals


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2
To review the information available in
the wait list to determine the needs for
access to child care as defined by data in
the waitlist
To establish policy priorities for serving
children and families on the waitlist
To determine the average amount of
time children are on the waitlist by age
group
KinderWait Overview
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3
KinderWait is EEC’s web-based central waitlist
system that was launched in summer of 2011 in
order create a single database for collecting
information statewide
Main functions include:
 Application intake for Income Eligible
children.
 Performs an eligibility check and identifies the
Eligibility (No Eligible Program, Income
Eligible, Head start)
 Waitlist management:
• Tracks family application status.
• Supplies Providers with information
regarding families that meet their
enrollment criteria.
KinderWait access
Who has access to KinderWait?
 EEC Regional Offices
 Contract Providers
 CCRRs
 Mass211
 Coordinated Family and Community Engagement
Programs
 KinderWait client access is available to those families
that are on the waitlist.
 When families are added to the waitlist they are
offered online access to a self service tool.
 They can update their application as needed and
access their information.
 A future KinderWait release will add the ability for
families to view their status and to see from whom
they have received available funding notifications.
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4
Age Groups Definitions
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5
Data presented falls into the following
age groups:
 Infant: 0 to 14 months
 Toddler: 15 to 32 months
 Preschool: 33 to 59 months
 School age: 60 months and above
Number of Active Children on the
Wait List by age group
50,000
45,000
40,000
35,000
30,000
Infant
25,000
20,000
15,000
Toddler
Preschool
School age
Total
10,000
5,000
0
6
Note: Data represented is self reported need as indicated by a parent,
guardian or family member
Number of Active Children on the
Wait List by age group
Month
7
Infant Toddler
Preschool School
age
Total
Aug 2011
3,738
5,386
7,238
8,059
24,421
Sept 2011
3,797
5,513
7,504
8,793
25,607
Oct 2011
3,716
5,573
7,630
9,271
26,190
Nov 2011
3,759
5,766
8,060
9,711
27,296
Dec 2011
3,720
5,957
8,496
10,199
28,372
Jan 2012
3,413
6,153
8,957
11,013
29,536
Feb 2012
3,358
6,511
9,668
11,723
31,260
March 2012
3,618
6,733
9,963
12,006
32,320
April 2012
3,988
7,443
11,176
13,522
36,129
May 2012
3,993
7,781
11,881
14,495
38,150
Jun 2012
4,043
7,970
12,487
15,576
40,076
July 2012
4,138
8,285
13,003
16,352
41,778
Aug 2012
4,388
8,691
13,575
17,477
44,131
Number of Active Children on the Wait
List by EEC Region
Western
MA (1)
Central
MA (2)
Northeast
(3)
Central
MA (4)
Southeast
& Cape (5)
Metro
Boston (6)
Infant
606
457
1070
689
569
997
4388
Toddler
1272
813
2148
1362
1229
1867
8691
Preschool
1638
1246
3449
2410
2282
2550
13575
School Age
2288
1694
4664
3082
2799
2950
17477
Age
Active Children on Wait List by EEC Region
Infant
14000
Toddler
Preschool
School Age
No. of Children
12000
10000
6000
4000
2000
0
8
4664
8000
Data is as of 8/1/2012
3082
3449
2288
1638
1694
1272
606
1246
813
457
2148
Western MA
(1)
Central MA
(2)
Northeast (3)
1070
2950
2799
2550
2410
2282
1362
689
1229
569
Central MA
(4)
1867
997
Southeast & Metro Boston
Cape (5)
(6)
Total
Duration on Wait List prior to
enrollment (Aug 2011 to Aug 2012)
Age
9
Number
enrolled
in last
year
Average
Days
(Months)
Std
Deviation
(Months)
Median
(Months)
Infant
570
152 (5.1)
142 (4.8)
122 (4.1)
Toddler
1266
175 (5.9)
171 (5.7)
119 (3.9)
Preschool
3331
124 (4.1)
142 (4.7)
66 (2.2)
School
Age
3505
107 (3.6)
151 (5.0)
43 (1.4)
Number Available Funding Letters Sent by Age Group in
the Last Year (Aug 2011 to Aug 2012)
Age Group
Number enrolled
in last year
Number of
Children sent
Funding Letters
Infant
570
2,049
2,745
Toddler
1266
3,252
4,103
Preschool
3331
7,364
11,247
School Age
3505
4,669
6,247
Total
8672
16,862
24,342
12000
Number of
AFLs sent
11,247
10000
8000
7,364
6,247
6000
4,103
4000
2000
4,669
2,745
2,049
3,252
3331
3505
1266
570
0
10
Infant
Toddler
Preschool
School Age
Enrolled
Children sent AFLs
AFLs Sent
Access needs for Gateway Cities
11
As of August 2012
Access needs for Gateway Cities..continue
0-5 on Waitlist Ranked by Largest to Smallest % Total Population 0-5
Gateway Cities
0
12
Lowell
Lawrence
Springfield
Lynn
Worcester
Brockton
Quincy
New Bedford
Revere
Chelsea
Malden
Haverhill
Pittsfield
Fall River
Everett
Barnstable
Chicopee
Fitchburg
Methuen
Taunton
Holyoke
Leominster
Salem
Westfield
As of August 2012
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1,347
1,316
1,111
904
845
832
806
580
501
468
468
362
359
322
302
275
274
273
262
258
251
224
214
100
1600
Access needs for Gateway Cities..continued
13
As of August 2012
Access needs for Gateway Cities..continue
6-13 School Age on Waitlis Ranked by Largest to Smallest %Total Population 6-13
0
Gateway Cities
Lawrence
Lowell
Springfield
Lynn
Worcester
Brockton
Quincy
New Bedford
Everett
Haverhill
Fall River
Malden
Pittsfield
Revere
Taunton
Methuen
Salem
Chicopee
Barnstable
Chelsea
Holyoke
Fitchburg
Leominster
Westfield
14
As of August 2012
200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
Summer 2012 Wait List information

Summer Only Wait List children refer to
School Age children only (60 months of age
or older)
2011
15
2012
Number of Children on the Wait List 402
with priority code of Summer Only
1289
Number of Available Funding
Letters sent
310
1194
Number of Children that were
enrolled in Summer from Wait List
38
139
Notes:
•2011 numbers are lower due to newness of KinderWait
application (launched in 2011)
•Summer Only Care EMB was sent on June 15,2012
Number of siblings of children
enrolled on the Wait List by region
16
Age
Western
MA (1)
Central
MA (2)
Northeast
(3)
Central
MA (4)
Southeast &
Cape (5)
Metro
Boston
(6)
Totals
Infant
139
88
208
98
110
216
859
Toddler
211
151
292
115
197
290
1256
Preschool
430
275
578
244
352
575
2454
School Age
1310
731
1714
812
1259
1701
7527
As of August 2012
Note: Sibling Access was opened 4/12/12 and closed on 5/2/12
Number of children enrolled in last
90 days
(May 2012 - Aug 2012)
Number of Children enrolled in last 90 days
1000
900
800
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
17
Infant
Toddler
Preschool
School Age
TBD
Voucher
Contract
Total
TBD
Voucher
Contract
Total
TBD
Voucher
Contract
Total
TBD
Voucher
Contract
Total
0
Average time on wait list for
children enrolled in last 90 days
Infants had the lowest
waiting period(5.3
months) while
Toddlers had the
highest (8 months)
Wait Prior to Enrollment
(Months)
9.0
8.0
7.0
6.0
5.0
4.0
3.0
2.0
1.0
0.0
Infant
Toddler
Preschool
School Age
(May 2012 - Aug 2012)
18
Children that may be eligible for
Head Start and Early Head Start
Number
of
Children
Average days
(months)
Standard
Dev
Median
Head Start
12,417
300 (10
months)
188
300
Early Head Start
3,950
271 (9
months)
204
248
The Head Start Program is a nationally funded program that promotes school
readiness through quality early educational experiences and services including:
Health, Mental Health, Nutrition, Social Services and Parent Involvement.
Early Head Start program was established to serve children from birth to 35
months of age. Early Head Start Program promotes healthy prenatal
outcomes, healthy families and infant and toddler development.
As of August 2012
19
Conclusion and Next Steps


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20
Continue to monitor the amount of time children
are on the waitlist prior to receiving services
Understand parent choices for program types
and geographic preferences vs. residence
Understand the impact of policy decisions on
waitlist reductions
Review the access to care as a result of attrition
in contracted slots especially when vouchers are
closed
Currently EEC has one year worth of Wait List
Data and anticipates better trending in year two
of data collection/analysis
The renewal process will help keep the
information accurate by reaching out to families
annually to confirm their needs
Appendix – Extra Slides
21
School Age distribution for children
on the Wait List
School Age
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
Above 13
TOTAL
As of August 2012
22
Number of Children
4819
3305
2535
2349
2044
1765
1435
1115
91
4
19462