The Massachusetts Child Care
Quality Cost Model
Presentation to the Massachusetts Department
of Early Education and Care
September 28, 2012
Andrew Brodsky
Anne Mitchell
Project Goals

Identify child care cost drivers of levels
from licensing through QRIS levels

Create interactive model to estimate
costs of child care quality in MA

Estimate cost implications of changing
reimbursement rates

Identify current and potential financing
strategies for child care quality
Cost Methodology



Baseline cost estimates based on
cost of licensing
Cost to achieve given distribution of
quality based on analysis of costrelated components of QRIS system
If data are available, costs
determined separately by region
Excel Model Features


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Allows user to change distribution of
quality (beginning at licensing)
Allows user to adjust supports for
high quality child care (such as
grants) and view resulting costs
Allows user to adjust reimbursement
rate structure
Excel Model Output


Current and projected enrollment by
age and setting
Additional costs based on changes to
enrollment and quality distribution, by
setting

Additional costs based on changes to
reimbursement rates

Cost of quality grants to providers
Factors Affecting Quality


Higher quality ECE costs more than
most families can afford
Market-based ECE encourages price
competition – low tuition fees – and
discourages investments in quality
Considerations for Estimating Costs

Expense drivers:




Ratios
Group size
Staff compensation (salary and benefits)
Revenue drivers:



Parent tuition fees/other revenue
Revenue collection
Enrollment efficiency
Provider perspective: Iron Triangle
Full Enrollment
Full Fee
Collection
Revenues Cover
Per-Child Cost
Supporting Financial Stability

State can…




Set family income eligibility high for entry and
higher for exit
Use contracts more than vouchers
Set rate ceilings as high as feasible
Providers can…



Fill vacancies immediately to keep enrollment as
close to 100% as possible
Collect all revenue on time
Diversify revenue: Participate in CACFP, PreK &
other revenue sources
DRAFT - 3-27-12
Considerations for Estimating
Cost: QRIS

Requirements in licensing rules

QRIS expectations increase by levels


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Primarily better qualified staff as quality
increases (higher compensation)
More staff time for assessment, family
activities and conferences, curriculum
planning, staff meetings
One-time costs for equipment
DRAFT - 3-27-12
Massachusetts QRIS System
Curriculum and
Learning
Level 1 (from regs)
Max group & staff
Infants: 7 w/2 staff
Toddlers: 9 w/2 staff
Preschoolers: 20 w/2
staff
School-age: 26 w/2
staff
Level 2
professional development
in
curriculum, screening
tools, and formative
assessment
ITERS/ECERS selfassessed score avg 3.0
(no item below 3.0)
Written child progress
report shared with
parents:
4 x year for
infants/toddlers
2 x preschoolers
1 x school-agers
Level 3
professional development
in the curriculum; using
the MA ELGs;
documenting children's
progress; and working
with children from
diverse languages and
cultures and second
language acquisition.
reliable scores:
ITERS/ECERS avg 5.0 (no
item below 4.0)
CLASS 3+
Progress reports with
parents 3 x year
and 4 x year for 0-3 +/or
CWD
outside consultants with
expertise in children's
behavior and mental
health to provide support
and assistance to staff
level 4
reliable scores:
ITERS/ECERS avg 6.0 (no
item below 5.0)
CLASS score 6-7
Massachusetts QRIS System
Workforce qualifications and professional
development
Level 1
Director I: lead teacher
qualified plus 2 credits in
child care admin and 2
credits in ECE/CD
Director II: same as I plus 2
credits
Lead teacher: age 21, high
school plus 12 credits
ECE/CD or high school plus
CDA (specific to 0-3 or
preschool)
Teacher: age 21 or high
school diploma/GED plus
two-year high school
vocational program in early
childhood education or CDA
Teacher assistant: age16 or
high school diploma
Level 2
Administrator has CDA
plus training in adult
supervision, MA ELGs,
Strengthening
Families, and MA core
competencies
All staff min high
school plus all
educators min 3
credits in ECE
Level 3
Administrator has
BA (or progress
toward achieving it)
with 24 credits ECE
and 9 credits
admin/mgt
level 4
Plus 5 years’
experience
50% of classrooms
have educator with BA
or higher
75% have BA or
higher
100% BA or higher
and all have 30
credits ECE
20 hrs PD annually (FT
staff)
All staff have IPDP
Example Provider-Level Output (NOT Mass.)
Center: 106 children, infants, toddlers and preschoolers
Net Income as
% of Expense
QUALITY
Regulated
Star 2
Star 3
Star 4
Star 5
Annual
Gap/Child
$828,943 Expense
$847,626 Revenue
$18,683 Net Income
2%
$176
$846,319 Expense
$847,626 Revenue
$1,307 Net Income
0%
$12
$890,845 Expense
$855,825 Revenue
($35,020) Net Income
-4%
($330)
$946,116 Expense
$873,394 Revenue
($72,722) Net Income
-8%
($686)
$1,014,520 Expense
$882,765 Revenue
($131,756) Net Income
-13%
($1,243)
Quantify the Gap in $
Quantify the Gap as %
Massachusetts
Cost of Quality Survey (2012)



Used in the model
Data confirms BLS wages, cost of
training and continuing professional
development
Data informed non-personnel costs


Materials and equipment
Child screening and assessment