Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care Request for Proposals

Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care

Request for Proposals

Proposal Due Date and Time:

June 18, 2010

4:00 pm

Content Expert:

Nicole Lessard, Policy Analyst

PART I

PROCUREMENT INFORMATION

Number of Pages included in this RFP: 45 plus attachments

Issue Date: Monday, May 10, 2010

Issuing Agency: EEC

Funds Type: CCDF ARRA Funding

INSTRUCTIONS TO APPLICANTS

Submit Proposal(s) to:

Grants Management

Department of Early Education and

Care

51 Sleeper St., 4 th floor

Boston, MA 02210

Label Envelope/Package: “Supporting Improvements in Physical

Environments for Early Education and Care Programs Serving

Infants and Toddlers RFP”

RFP Title/Number: FY11/FY12 Physical Environments - Fund Code

107

Proposal Due Date: June 18, 2010, 4:00 pm

Special Instructions:

Intent to Bid:

EEC requests that all applicants intending to bid on this RFP send an “intent to bid” email to procure@massmail.state.ma.us

by May 21, 2010 with the RFP Title/Number in the subject line of the email.

In the intent to bid email please state the following: The name of the intended applicant, i.e. lead agency name; and the program you intend to implement with this funding, i.e. PCHP.

Applicants must submit one original and three copies of their complete Response package with all parts in numerical order (Part I, Part II etc.).

This is a competitive RFP bid. Any and all questions regarding this RFP must be submitted in writing to procure@massmail.state.ma.us

by May 21, 2010 at 4:00 pm with the RFP Title/Number in the subject line.

EEC expects to post responses to written questions on or around May 28, 2010. The Q&A document will be posted with this RFP posting.

Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care – FY11/FY12 Physical Environments – Fund Code #107

Part I

Procurement Information (continued)

APPLICANT INFORMATION

Please fill in the information below and return with your RFP response. It is EEC’s expectation that the person listed as the contact on this grant application will be the one to receive any and all pertinent information from EEC regarding this RFP and will forward such pertinent information on to relevant parties within their agency.

Applicant Name/Address/Website:

Vendor Name

12345 Main St. 7th floor

Anytown, MA 00000

Authorized Applicant Signatory:

Sample Name

Applicant Contact Name for this RFP:

Sample Name

Phone Number: 000-000-0000

Email: sampleemail@abcdefg.edu

X___________________________________

(please type name, and then sign in blue ink)

Applicant Federal Tax I.D. Number:

00-0000000

Indicate (circle) whether this proposal is:

Original Copy

This space intentionally left blank.

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Purpose


The Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) provides services for children in Massachusetts through a mixed delivery system, which includes child care centers, out-of-school time programs, family child care homes, public preschool programs, private school preschool and kindergarten, and Head Start programs. EEC is responsible for licensing early education and care and out-of-school time programs throughout Massachusetts and for providing child care financial assistance to lowincome families with children birth to 13 years of age. In addition, EEC provides support for information and referral services, inclusive programming for children with special needs, parenting and family support, and professional development opportunities for educators and programs in the early education and out-of-school time fields. These efforts affect thousands of early education and out-of-school time educators, who serve more than 275,000 children each day. In its broadest role, EEC also serves as a source of information to the families of more than one million children in Massachusetts.

EEC is committed to supporting early education and care and out of school time programs to advance their quality in order to best serve children in their programs.

This grant initiative focuses particularly on improving the quality of the physical environment of programs that serve infants and toddlers.

Research indicates that “the quality of a physical environment can either contribute to children's development and support staff and parent goals or create a permanent impediment to the operation of a high quality program. The design and layout of the physical environment, which includes the building, interior finishes, outdoor spaces, selection of equipment and room arrangement has a profound impact on children's learning and behavior and on teachers' abilities to efficiently do their jobs”.

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Children need age-appropriate physical environments that support and promote childdirected and child-initiated play. The environment must promote and positively support the child's interaction with space, materials and people. Educators also need highly functional, easy-to-use environments. When the environment supports both and is working for children and adults, it is easier for adults to focus on facilitating each child's learning and play.

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Investing in high quality early learning has proven to be effective in addressing the educational disparities faced by children at risk, but quality is a crucial component and one factor that lacks funding supports is the condition of the facilities housing these programs. In preparing children for academic success the impact of facilities can impact the quality of an appropriate learning environment.

1

As reported by Stoeckilin and White (Designing Quality Child Care Facilities): Greenman, Jim, "So You Want to Build a Building?

Dancing with Architects and Other Developmental Experiences--Part 3: Designing the Building", Living in the Real World, Child Care

Information Exchange 1/92, Vol. 83, Pages 47-50; and Greenman, Jim, "Why Did It Turn Out This Way? How Buildings Go Wrong",

Living in the Real World, Child Care Information Exchange, 3/92, Vol. 84, Pages 49-51.

2 Id.

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Priorities EEC recognizes early education and care programs as key partners in promoting development in children’s first three years, and beyond, as they serve a significant portion of children enrolled in child care at these ages. These programs often lack professional development opportunities focused on the link between improvements in their physical environment leading to increased outcomes in children and would benefit from additional training, support and funding for these enhancements.

This initiative focuses on improving programs that serve infants and toddlers by providing professional development to increase quality via enhancements to the physical environments and funds to support the purchase of equipment that focuses on health and safety and curriculum improvements for infants and toddlers.

There is a growing body of research on the impact of the environment on children’s learning and on staff commitment and productivity. Other studies have shown that good facilities lead to:



Children exhibiting more exploratory behavior, more positive social interactions and more cooperation in classrooms with well-defined activity areas;



A positive relationship on children’s later cognitive development when space is available for children to retreat from the larger group for a portion of the day;



Reduced conflict and anxiety as space is designed to support children’s development; toddlers need low partitions that allow them to see playmates or teachers. Rooms in which partitions restricted younger children’s view of other children or teachers showed reduced time in positive interactions and increased conflict and anxiety;



Better staff engagement with children and more effective interactions and teaching;



Reduced teacher fatigue, more patience, better morale and commitment; and



Longer tenure in the field and more successful recruitment of qualified teachers.

The goals of this grant are to:



Increase early education and care educators’ awareness, knowledge and ability regarding: o The importance of their program’s physical environment as it relates to positive interactions, relationships and behaviors; o Making informed decisions about quality improvements that would enhance the program’s quality; and o How to sustain these improvements and plan for future enhancements.



Increase the quality of physical environments for participating programs via the implementation of grant funded enhancements, to increase positive interactions as well as staff engagement.



Decrease EEC health and safety licensing citations.

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Eligibility

Funding

Required Services

This is a competitive grant to provide professional development services to the

Massachusetts early education and care workforce. EEC seeks a vendor with established expertise in implementing professional development opportunities regarding enhancements to the physical environments of early education and care programs and distributing grants to these programs to make appropriate quality improvements. All vendors able to meet the requirements of this grant are eligible to apply. EEC expects to award funds to one vendor able to provide services to the entire

Commonwealth.

EEC reserves the right to prioritize vendors if they are able to negotiate bulk purchasing discounts with approved vendors where possible. EEC reserves the right to prioritize vendors if they are able to leverage funds (e.g. private investment in training development and resources for connecting programs to other resources, utility company subsidizing models, or loans to programs statewide to extend the impact of the EEC ARRA grant funding).

The funds supporting this initiative are Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) funds received by the Commonwealth, through the American Recovery and Reinvestment

Act (ARRA) and are available for one vendor to provide professional development opportunities and to disseminate funds through a competitive process to support the improvement of physical environments of early education and care programs serving infants and toddlers.

EEC seeks a vendor to provide the services as outlined in this RFP and will accept proposals up to, and not to exceed, the amount of $500,000. Of the $500,000, vendors may allocate : o Up to $94,000 to provide a minimum of ten trainings across the state (two in each of the five EEC regions); and o Up to $406,000 shall be spent on the award and administration of grant funds to programs.

 Please note, the administration of grants must be limited to a maximum of 20% of these funds and the remaining funds (minimum of

$324,800) must be spent to provide program level grants to eligible programs.

If additional funds become available during the grant duration period, EEC reserves the right to increase the maximum obligation to some or all contracts executed as a result of this RFP or to execute contracts with vendors not funded in the initial selection process, subject to available funding, satisfactory contract performance and service or commodity need.

EEC proposes to fund a two part model focusing on early education and care programs serving infants and toddlers. The chosen vendor will offer a minimum of two professional development opportunities to the program participants regarding making quality enhancements to their programs’ physical environments. This same cohort of

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Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care – FY11/FY12 Physical Environments – Fund Code #107 program participants, or subset of this cohort, will later be eligible to apply for grant funds to implement a physical environment improvement project.

Applicants must provide the following services with this funding:

1.

Provide trainings focused on improving the quality of the physical environment of early education and care programs that serve infants and toddlers.

 Between July 2010 and December 2010, the selected vendor must hold at least two trainings in each of EEC’s five regions (Western MA, Central MA, Northeast

MA, Southeast MA and Cape Cod and Islands, and Metro Boston), for a minimum of 10 trainings total, offered to the mixed delivery system statewide (for 5 regional

 cohorts). Participating educators/programs in the regional trainings should be considered a cohort and should attend both of the two-part training sessions.

The two (minimum) trainings must be spaced out appropriately to offer participants the opportunity for reflection.

 The trainings must be offered in multiple languages, as needed.

 The first training should include: o components of high-quality indoor and outdoor infant-toddler environments. o discussion of significant issues related to infant-toddler care: group size and ratios, primary caregiver vs. multi-caregiver staffing models, mixed age groups, parent needs and concerns, the scale of space and furnishings, and how space can either support or interfere with the quality of care.

 how the environment supports children’s healthy development and learning, and how to adapt an environment to support children with special needs.

 how to ensure health and safety for children and adults using the space (child-proofing, sanitation, ergonomic considerations for adults working with young children, as well as “green elements”

 such as indoor air quality, day-lighting, access to nature).

 how to develop a comfortable and welcoming environment for all users: children, program staff, parents, and others.

 how to lay out space for both function and convenience: furnishings, feeding, sleeping, diapering and toileting, storage of children’s belongings, staff needs, and other storage.

 aesthetic considerations: lighting, color, display, scale, etc. o strategies for incorporating family and staff culture into the environment. o guidelines for purchasing quality equipment to enhance a program’s physical environment.

The second training must include a focused module on Financial Management

Training that addresses capital spending, sustainability, depreciation and capital reserves.

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

Conduct site visits to at least 20% of grantees to provide technical assistance and to verify the use of grant funds is appropriate and is linked to the improvement of the physical environment.

 Outreach for all trainings must include posting on EEC’s Professional Development

Calendar.





An on-line training component that can be accessed by all early education and care educators/programs (not just those participating in the trainings).

Evaluation of training sessions and resulting changes the participants have made in their physical environments as a result of this funding.

 Quarterly reporting will be required through the lifetime of the grant.

2.

Approve and award grant funding and provide on-going technical assistance to early education and care programs to implement physical environment improvements.

The selected vendor must:

 Have a plan to serve the entire mixed delivery system statewide (center based providers, Head Start providers, family child care providers affiliated with a System and independent family child care providers; profit and non-profit).

 Have an established, but flexible, process for awarding grant funds to eligible programs within the mixed delivery system statewide, including: o A Request for Proposal (RFP) and proposal review process. o Providing technical assistance to educators/programs until their project is complete (including site visits). o Providing a list of approved vendors for grantees to use when purchasing materials.



Have expertise regarding child care facility improvement project management (e.g. awareness of the costs of projects, equipment, etc.; access to experienced advisors as needed).



Be able to provide training by December, 2010 and ensure all administered grants funds are spent by, and all services received by August 1, 2011. Ability to implement a Train the Trainers model to realize efficiencies and additional impact in training.



Plan for return and reallocation of equipment purchased with grant funds and/or if a participating program closes before August 1, 2011.



Have a process for monitoring grant use by participating educators/programs.

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



The selected vendor must demonstrate the ability to administer program level grants to eligible early education and care programs based upon the following program level eligibility requirements.

Program Level Eligibility:

The Request for Proposal (RFP) or funding process that will be administered by the selected vendor to provide program level grants must include the following eligibility requirements and/or information:

1.

All EEC licensed programs that serve infants and toddlers, within the mixed system, will be eligible (center based, Head Start, family child care affiliated with a System and independent family child care providers; profit and non-profit).

2.

Eligible early education and care educators/programs must:

 Have completed the two (minimum) training sessions focused on improving the quality of their physical environments.

 Be an existing program in business for 3 years as of January 1, 2010.

 Demonstrate they meet the needs of working parents.

 Agree to participate in a future MA QRIS Process to receive a QRIS rating.

 Demonstrate a need for this grant funding (e.g. programs could be required to provide “before” photos of a space in their program that could be improved with grant funds, or could provide other examples of documentation that link the need to improve their program’s physical environment to improve the quality of their program.)

 Agree to stay in business through the terms of this grant (August 1,

2011): full repayment of the entire grant amount is required if the

 child care facility ceases to provide early education and care within this time period. If the program closes within this time period, every effort should be made to return the equipment for redistribution. (Vendor shall provide a return schedule; e.g. 100% if closed before August 1,

2011 etc.).

Grants should also be awarded based on the applicant’s ability to expend funds by August 1, 2011. Grants funds cannot be used for purchases and/or debt incurred prior to the date of project approval.

3.

As of April 15, 2010: the educator/program must have been serving:

 at least one subsidized infant or toddler and

Programs shall be prioritized if they are:

 serving over 50% subsidized (all) children in the program, defined as: a) Children accessing care through EEC contracts or vouchers; b) Children funded with Head Start dollars; and c) Privately subsidized children from families meeting EEC income eligibility criteria (i.e., total household income at or below 85% of the state median income) with supporting documentation from

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Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care – FY11/FY12 Physical Environments – Fund Code #107 program.

The selected vendor will determine grant awards for eligible center-based and family child care programs who meet the program eligibility requirements. Awards shall be granted as follows.

Center based programs are eligible to receive grants up to $10,000 per program to purchase equipment focused on improving the program’s health and safety or curriculum for infants and toddlers. The purchase(s) must have an impact on all infant and toddler classrooms in a program. Of the allocated funding for program level grants, at least 20 Center Based Programs should receive up to $10,000 each.

Family Child Care programs are eligible to receive grants up to $1,000 per program focused on equipment to improve the program’s health and safety or curriculum for infants and toddlers. Of the allocated funding for program level grants, at least 115 Family Child Care Programs should receive $1,000 each.

The selected vendor will ensure that the funds administered to early education and care programs should have the primary goal of purchasing materials/equipment that aligns with improvements in health and safety and curriculum and would enable maintaining compliance with EEC’s new child care regulations.

Purchased materials should primarily focus on compliance with common health and safety licensing citations.

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Acceptable use of grant funds should be clearly delineated in the RFP for educators/programs. Grant funds may be used to purchase developmentallyappropriate health and safety improvements or program equipment for child care facilities and materials focused on improving environments (to align with Quality

Rating and Improvement System environment/materials; such as: o Portable Sink 4 o o

Lighting

Equipment to increase indoor air quality (air exchange system)

3 Ten health and safety licensing issues frequently cited include: (1) all equipment/materials should be clean and in a safe, workable condition;

(2) all toxic substances/hazardous objects should be kept in a secured place and out of the reach of children; (3) outdoor play area should be kept free from hazards including but not limited to: a busy street, poisonous plants, water hazards, debris, broken glass, and dangerous machinery and tools, or location on a porch. Any such hazard shall be fenced by a sturdy, permanently installed barrier which is at least four feet high or otherwise protected or removed, as appropriate; (4) floors of rooms used by children shall be clean, un-slippery, smooth and free from cracks, splinters and sharp or protruding objects and other safety hazards; (5) Group Centers must ensure that the physical facilities are safe, clean, comfortable, and free from hazards; (6) only equipment/materials etc. which are appropriate to the needs and developmental level of the child shall be used; (7) ceilings and walls shall be maintained in good repair and shall be clean and free from sharp or protruding objects and other safety hazards; (8) the licensee shall monitor the environment daily to immediately remove or repair any hazard which may cause injury (9) the ground area and fall zones under swings, slides, and climbing structures shall be covered with an adequate depth of an impact absorbing equipment; and (10) all electrical outlets, within the reach of children, shall be made inaccessible by use of a safety device or covering that bars access to the receptacle openings. If the covering is a shock stop, it shall be of adequate size to prevent a choking hazard.

4 Through the QRIS Program Improvement Grant, EEC has learned the average cost of a portable sink ranges from $1300-1600; please note, for the purposes of this RFP, portable sinks shall be considered a capital asset and shall be subject to program’s capital asset threshold.

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Fund Use

Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care – FY11/FY12 Physical Environments – Fund Code #107 o o o o o o o o o o o o

Furnishings (non- off gassing varnishes)

Rug (non-off gassing)

Materials from the Checklist in Early Childhood Program Standards for

3 and 4 year olds (computers will not be an allowable expense, even though they are listed on this checklist) (Listed on page 57 at this link: http://www.mass.gov/Eeoe/docs/EEC/research_planning/earlychildcur_assess/ta_earlychildprogstan.pdf

)

Paint

Chairs (e.g. for toddlers, without head entrapment potential)

Curriculum area materials (e.g. dramatic play)

Fall Zone Materials

Book Shelves o o

Other (to be submitted by the selected vendor for EEC approval prior to the publication of the RFP)

Grant funds cannot be used by educators/programs for: o Construction

Labor o Refinancing projects o Travel expenses

Debt incurred prior to the date of project approval

Political or religious purposes

Purchases from organizations without proper licensing (must be on authorized vendor list)

Consumables o Computers and other hardware

Funds must be used to support the grant requirements, goals and priorities. EEC has allocated up to $500,000 for this initiative, of those funds: o Up to $94,000 to provide a minimum of ten trainings across the state (two in each of the five EEC regions); and o Up to $406,000 shall be spent on the award and administration of grant funds to programs.

 Please note, the administration of grants must be limited to a maximum of 20% of these funds and the remaining funds (minimum of

$324,800) must be spent to provide program level grants to eligible programs.

Funds for this initiative shall be spent on:



Staff planning time directly related to preparing training



Staff to deliver training



Training materials



Translation of Training Materials



Translator for Trainings



Space for Trainings



Costs associated with the delivery of the required services, including staffing

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Outcomes and and supplies



Program level grants to early education and care providers



Other reasonable expenditures as needed

Grant funds shall not be used by the selected vendor to pay for the following:



Equipment purchase, rental, or repair



Depreciation of equipment



Expenses charged to other ARRA-funded activities



Fringe benefits



Conference fees



Out-of-state travel, hotels, car rental or taxis



Computer hardware or software for selected vendor or for program administrative purposes



Telephone and utilities and/or



Non-instructional supplies and non-instructional materials.

Vendor(s) are encouraged to:

 leverage funds and or resources (e.g. private investment in training development and resources for connecting programs to other resources, utility company subsidizing models, or loans to programs statewide to extend the impact of the EEC ARRA grant funding).

 negotiate bulk purchasing discounts with approved vendors where possible.

Conditions of Grant Funding:



Recipient(s) acknowledge that the use of funds associated with this grant is governed by both federal and state law, including but not limited to the following: o 42 USC 9858 o 45 CFR Part 98 o 45 CFR Part 99 o Public Law 111-5, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) o 815 CMR 2.00 et seq



By accepting and utilizing funds associated with this grant, recipient(s) also acknowledges that it is bound by the terms and conditions placed on both the

Commonwealth and its vendors under ARRA, as specified in the Terms and

Conditions form (Appendix H).



All expenses must be of a one-time or non-recurring nature.

For the purposes of this grant, including any federal and/or state reporting requirements under ARRA, grant recipients will be considered vendors.

The selected vendor(s) will be required to submit a quarterly outcomes and measures report on grant fund use and outcomes on an EEC designed electronic report along

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Measures with a final grant report on the use of grant funds and outcome(s) of grant funded activities. In particular, individual educator and provider (program) level data as well as aggregated programmatic data will be required. The following data measures will be collected from the selected vendor(s):

1.

Number of trainings offered including number and identity of educators attending each training.

2.

Number of providers (programs) that participated in these professional development opportunities by type; i.e. center-based or family child care home.

3.

Total number of educators who participated in professional development opportunities and the number and percentage of those by: a.

Setting type ; b.

Position; c.

Demographic information; and d.

Length of time in the early education and care and out of school time field.

4.

Number of grant requests received through the RFP, including program type, demographic information and summary of proposed facility improvement projects, e.g. materials to be purchased, type of improvement to be made, and cost of implementation.

5.

Identification of amount of grant money awarded to selected programs, including identity of program and number of infants and toddlers each program serves.

6.

Summary of proposed use of grant funds by each selected program and actual use of funds.

7.

Number of educators and providers who received technical assistance following grant award.

8.

Number of on-site visits conducted by selected vendor to recipient programs with identification of program and dates visited. (Please note: at least 20% of grantees must be visited to verify use of funds is appropriate and is linked to the improvement of the physical environment).

ARRA funds require unprecedented levels of reporting requirements, beyond the traditional federal and state audit requirements. Since this grant is supported with

ARRA funds, grantees must track all expenditures separately from other program

expenditures and maintain documentation of approved expenditures for submittal of all required grant reports. To comply with the federal and state ARRA reporting requirements, EEC will require information about the number of jobs created and

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Delivery

Requirements and

Payments

Project Duration

Required Forms to be Submitted retained through the expenditure of these funds and aggregated demographic data about these individuals whose jobs have been created or retained. A specific template for ARRA reporting will be forthcoming upon award of the grant.

EEC expressly reserves the right to modify and/or add additional reporting requirements, fund tracking mechanisms, and/or performance measures for the grantee(s) to follow related to any of this grant funding.

The selected vendor will receive payment in three installments*:

1.

Funding associated with development and implementation of trainings

(approximately July 2010) (based on vendor’s proposed amount to complete these tasks; maximum of $94,000)

2.

Funding associated with the development, administration and technical assistance support related to program level grants (approximately October

2010) (based on vendor’s proposed amount to complete these tasks; maximum of $81,200)

3.

Funding to support on-going technical assistance and program level grants

(approximately January 2011) (based on vendor’s proposed amount to fund programs, minimum of $324,800)

*If the selected vendor anticipates that it will meet the above deliverables ahead of the suggested timeline above, the approximate payment dates may be flexible to accommodate the proposal’s actual timeline.

July 30, 2010 - August 1, 2011

Applicants must complete and submit one original and three copies of the following required forms with their RFP response:

 Part I: Procurement Information (pages 1 and 2 of this RFP document)

 Part II: Two Budget Detail Forms (please fill out these forms electronically, in order to maintain the formulas in the excel document, and then print the documents for submission with your application) o FY2011 Budget Detail (outlining funds to be spent July 1, 2010 – June

30, 2011) (this is a separate excel attachment with RFP posting) o FY2012 Budget Detail (outlining funds to be spent July 1, 2011 – August

1, 2011) (this is a separate excel attachment with RFP posting)

 Part III: Two Budget Narrative Forms o FY2011 Budget Narrative (providing details regarding funds to be spent July 1, 2010 – June 30, 2011) (page 16 of this RFP document) o FY2012 Budget Narrative (providing details regarding funds to be spent

July 1, 2011 – August 1, 2011) (page 17 of this RFP document)

 Part IV: Required Responses from Applicants (limit 10 pages single spaced) (page 18-

22 of this RFP document)

 Part V: Confirmation of Receipt/Review of ARRA Performance Reporting

Requirements Form (page 23 of this RFP document)

 Part VI: Checklist - Cities/Towns Served (page 24-36 of this RFP document)

Applicants must also complete and submit one original packet of the following forms with their RFP response (unless applicant already has these documents on file with the

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Additional

Information

Required Notices for Review

Commonwealth of MA)

 A signed Commonwealth Terms and Conditions form

 Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification W-9 complete with

DUNS #

 Contractor Authorized Signatory Listing

 Authorization for Electronic Funds Payment (EFT) Form

 Executive Order 504 Contractor Certification Form

EEC reserves the right to discard any incomplete proposal submissions.

Please note: If your application is selected for funding, EEC will email you a Standard

Contract Form which you will need to print, sign (in blue ink), and return to EEC.

Directions on how to submit that signed form to EEC will be explained when you receive the form.

Timeline:

 RFP Release/Posting: May 10, 2010

 Intent to bid email to procure@massmail.state.ma.us

by May 21, 2010 ( In the

intent to bid email please state the following: The name of the intended applicant, i.e. lead agency name, and “Intent to Bid: FY10/FY11 Physical

Environments” in the subject line of the email).



Submission of Written Inquiries: by 4pm on May 21, 2010 o Applicants must submit written inquiries to procure@massmail.state.ma.us

with “Question(s): FY11/FY12 Physical

Environments ARRA” in the subject line.



Response to Written Inquiries: May 28, 2010 (Estimated)



Submission Deadline: June 18, 2010, 4pm



Bidders are Notified of Awards: July 16, 2010 (Estimated)



Grant Start Date: July 30, 2010 (Estimated)

EEC reserves the right to adjust the timeframe above. It is the responsibility of the applicant to keep up to date on changes to this RFP by checking the RFP posting.



ARRA Performance and Reporting Requirements Form



ARRA Job Quest Job Posting Flyer



ARRA Section 1553 Whistleblower Flyer

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Part II: Budget Detail

Please review and complete two (2) “Budget Detail” worksheets. Please fill out these forms electronically, in order to maintain the formulas in the excel document, and then print the documents for submission with your application. The Budget Detail form is an excel document attached to this web posting. All applicants must submit one budget outlining their proposed allocation of funds for FY2011

(July 1, 2010 – June 30, 2011) and one to cover FY2012 (July 1, 2011 – August 1, 2011) portion of this grant funding since the grant duration crosses fiscal years.

Part III: Budget Narrative

Please complete two (2) “Budget Narrative” worksheets. All applicants must submit one budget narrative describing their proposed allocation of funds for FY2011 (July 1, 2010 – June 30, 2011) and one to cover FY2012 (July 1, 2011 – August 1, 2011) portion of this grant funding since the grant duration crosses fiscal years. The two required “Budget Narrative” documents can be found on the following two pages of this RFP.

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Part III – Budget Narrative (FY2011)

July 1, 2010 – June 30, 2011

The required Budget Narrative should include detailed information about the proposed allocation of funds outlined in the “Part II: Budget Detail”; the Budget Narrative should match the Budget Detail document.



Applicants must submit a Part III: Budget Narrative which clearly describes costs budgeted in each category.



Applicants should be thorough in their responses, but limit budget narrative response to 2 pages.

Line 1 – Administrators:

Line 2 – Instructional/Professional Staff:

Line 3 – Support Staff:

Line 4 – Fringe Benefits:

Line 5 – Contractual Services:

Line 6 – Supplies and Materials:

Line 7 – Travel:

Line 8 – Other:

Line 9 – Indirect Costs:

Line 10 – Equipment:

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Part III – Budget Narrative (FY2012)

July 1, 2011 – August 1, 2011

The required Budget Narrative should include detailed information about the proposed allocation of funds outlined in the “Part II: Budget Detail”; the Budget Narrative should match the Budget Detail document.



Applicants must submit a Part III: Budget Narrative which clearly describes costs budgeted in each category.



Applicants should be thorough in their responses, but limit budget narrative response to 2 pages.

Line 1 – Administrators:

Line 2 – Instructional/Professional Staff:

Line 3 – Support Staff:

Line 4 – Fringe Benefits:

Line 5 – Contractual Services:

Line 6 – Supplies and Materials:

Line 7 – Travel:

Line 8 – Other:

Line 9 – Indirect Costs:

Line 10 – Equipment:

17


Part IV – Required Responses from Applicants

All applicants must respond to the following questions. Points assigned to sections/questions are reflective of the value and expectations regarding the thoroughness of responses. The maximum number of points available is 100. Please include the question number and then the response. Please limit your responses to Part IV to 10 pages single spaced.

Applicant Name: (please include applicant name as a header on the top of each page of your proposal).

Vendor Experience - 15 points

1.

Describe your experience: a) implementing professional development opportunities regarding enhancements to the physical environment of early education and care programs, serving infants and toddlers as well as other age groups (7.5 points); and b) distributing grants to these programs to make appropriate quality improvements (7.5 points).

Model for Implementation of Training - 25 points

2.

Describe your proposed model for implementation for providing professional development (please note that a minimum of two connected trainings must be offered in each of EEC’s five regions:

(Western MA, Central MA, Northeast MA, Southeast MA and Cape Cod and Islands, and Metro

Boston) and include in your response: a) The topics that will be covered in each of the trainings you propose to provide (e.g. session one, session two, etc). Please note: the second training (or late training if you propose more than two trainings per regional cohort) must include a focused module on Financial

Management Training that addresses capital spending, sustainability, depreciation and capital reserves (2.5 points); b) Number of trainings that will be offered in each of EEC’s five regions; if you choose to offer a disproportionate amount of trainings in each region, please explain why (e.g., 4 trainings in

Western MA and 2 in Metro Boston etc.) (2.5 points); c) Total number of early education and care educators and related professionals that will be trained in each region. Also, please include a breakdown by the program type (include number of center based, family child care affiliated with a System and independent family child care providers) (2.5 points); d) How you propose to select early education and care educators for participation in this initiative (2.5 points);

18

Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care – FY11/FY12 Physical Environments – Fund Code #107 e) Provide a proposed training calendar (please include approximate dates, times and city/town the training will be held in) (2.5 points); f) Confirm that all training times will meet the needs of family child care educators (please note: these educators are most often available on weekends and after 6pm on weeknights)

(2.5 points); g) How you will conduct outreach to include programs with educators that do not speak

English; how will you meet the needs of training participants that do not speak English; how will you assess the need for translated materials and translators (2.5 points); h) Please provide an outline of the information that will be covered in the modules of content that you will provide to EEC to make available on the EEC website to provide information to all early education and care programs interested in making improvements to their program’s physical environment. Please also include when you will send EEC that information (2.5 points); i) How will you implement a Train the Trainer model to realize efficiencies and additional impact in training (2.5 points); j) Please use the checklist (found in Part VI) to indicate which city/towns your proposal intends to cover (town/city that the early education and care programs are located in) (2.5 points);

Model for Implementation of Administering Program Level Grants - 25 points

3.

Due to funding constraints, EEC understands that applicants may be able to train more early education and care providers than they can fund to receive program level grants. EEC is interested in learning more about the proposed processes the applicant will implement to both administer the grant funds as well as to select programs that will receive those funds.

Please note:

Center based programs should be eligible to receive grants up to $10,000 per program to purchase equipment focused on improving the program’s health and safety or curriculum for infants and toddlers. The purchase(s) must have an impact on all infant and toddler classrooms in a program. Of the allocated funding for program level grants, at least 20

Center Based Programs should receive up to $10,000 each.

Family Child Care programs are eligible to receive grants up to $1,000 per program focused on equipment to improve the program’s health and safety or curriculum for infants and toddlers. Of the allocated funding for program level grants, at least 115 Family Child Care

Programs should receive $1,000 each.

Describe your proposed model for implementation of program level grant administration, and include in your response:

19

Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care – FY11/FY12 Physical Environments – Fund Code #107 a) The method by which you propose to alert programs to the funding opportunity (email, mail, during trainings, etc.); please include the date you estimate releasing notice of this funding opportunity to programs (2.5 points); b) Method for outlining the eligibility and related requirements and criteria (as outlined in the

Required Services portion of this RFP) for eligible early education and care programs

(Request for Proposal, etc) (2.5 points); c) How will you select participants, please include a.

The process you propose to implement to review grants (e.g. who will be on review teams, number of reviewers, scoring matrix that will be used etc.) (2.5 points); b.

How will you ensure grants are distributed equally on a regional basis (2.5 points); c.

Include the number of each type of program you intend to provide grants to

(number of family child care programs affiliated with a System, number of

Independent Family Child Care providers and number of center based programs – please note: family child care providers not affiliated with a System must be eligible to receive grant funds) (2.5 points); d) Will you provide an approved vendor list to grantees? If so, please indicate how the proposed vendors were selected for inclusion on the list (2.5 points); e) After reviewing this RFP’s “Fund Use” section, please indicate if you believe there are other uses of funds that your experience indicates should be added to the acceptable list in order for programs to make marked improvements in their physical environment (2.5 points); f) Describe how you will ensure programs receiving grants will have spent all funds and received all services related to this grant funding by August 1, 2011 (2.5 points); g) Describe the method by which you propose to provide on-going technical assistance to programs that are receiving grant funds (at least until the end of the grant period); please include how you will provide technical assistance regarding budget development and the number of on-site visits you anticipate for each program (2.5 points); h) Describe how you will monitor grantees through August 1, 2011 to ensure that they maintain their commitment to remaining in business after receiving grant funds. Also, please describe the process by which you will reallocate grant purchased materials to other programs if a program does close before August 1, 2011. (2.5 points).

Staffing - 10 points

4.

Describe the qualifications, experience for each staff/trainer that will implement the proposed model and their intended role in the training and administration of grants. Please include staff/trainers who will train English language learners (ELLs) and identify what languages these individuals speak (10 points).

20


Reporting and Evaluation - 15 points

5.

Please confirm that you will provide EEC with quarterly updates, as outlined in the Outcomes and

Measure section of this RFP document, which indicates that the selected vendor(s) will be required to submit a quarterly outcomes and measures report on grant fund use and outcomes on an EEC designed electronic report along with a final grant report on the use of grant funds and outcome(s) of grant funded activities. In particular, individual educator and provider (program) level data as well as aggregated programmatic data will be required. The following data measures will be collected from the selected vendor(s):



Number of trainings offered including number and identity of educators attending each training.



Number of providers (programs) that participated in these professional development opportunities by type; i.e. center-based or family child care home



Total number of educators who participated in professional development o opportunities and the number and percentage of those by: o Setting type ; o Position; o Demographic information; and o Length of time in the early education and care and out of school time field.



Number of grant requests received through the RFP, including program type, demographic information and summary of proposed facility improvement projects, e.g. materials to be purchased, type of improvement to be made.



Identification of amount of grant money awarded to selected programs, including identity of program and number of infants and toddlers each program serves.



Summary of proposed use of grant funds by each selected program.



Number of educators and providers who received technical assistance following grant award.



Number of on-site visits conducted by selected vendor to recipient programs with identification of program and dates visited.

(7.5 points)

6.

Additionally, the following data should be included and reported to EEC within two weeks of the completion of this initiative. Please provide details on your proposed method for conducting a pre and post evaluation to determine the efficacy of the training and related grants in meeting the following goals of this initiative:



Increase early education and care educators’ awareness, knowledge and ability regarding: o The importance of their programs’ physical environment as it relates to positive interactions, relationships and behaviors, o Making informed decisions about which quality improvements their programs should/could make, and o How to sustain these improvements and plan for future enhancements.



Increase the quality of physical environments for participating programs via the implementation of enhancements, to increase positive interactions as well as staff engagement.



Decrease EEC licensing citations related to issues in programs’ physical environments.

(7.5 points)

21


Budget – 10 points

7.

EEC is seeking a vendor to provide the services as outlined is this RFP and will accept proposals up to, and not to exceed, the amount of $500,000. Please see Part II – Budget Detail and Part III Budget

Narrative as well as Appendix A for submitting budget information (10 points). EEC will score the budget as follows: a.

Budget Detail and Budget Narrative add up correctly, do not exceed $500,000 and match one another (Budget Narrative should explain the items entered into the Budget Detail) (2 points); (Please note: the Budget Detail documents must be first filled out electronically, in order to maintain the formulas in the excel document, and then printed for submission with your application). b.

Budget forms clearly articulate how grant funds will be allocated (2 points); c.

The Training portion of the budget does not exceed $94,000 (2 points); d.

The vendor allocated at least $324,800 to providing grants directly to programs (2 points); and e.

The funds allocated to the Administration of the Grants does not exceed more than 20% of the amount the vendor allocated to providing grants directly to programs (2 points).

22


Part V: Confirmation of Receipt/Review of ARRA Performance Reporting Requirements Form

I, _______________________, hereby acknowledge that I have reviewed the following ARRA documents

(one PDF file with posting):



Commonwealth of Massachusetts Contract Attachment Notice of American Recovery and

Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Performance and Reporting Requirements form;



“How to Post Recovery Jobs” flyer from The Massachusetts Recovery Plan; and



“Know Your Rights Under the Recovery Act!” flyer from Recovery.gov

_________________________________

Authorized Signatory of Bidder

___________

Date

23


Part VI: Checklist - Cities/Towns Served

Please use the checklist below to indicate which city/towns your proposal intends to cover (town/city that the early education and care programs are located in).

EEC Region

Southeast and Cape

Central MA

Southeast and Cape

Western MA

Western MA

Southeast and Cape

Western MA

Metro Boston

Northeast

Western MA

Northeast

Southeast and Cape

Central MA

Central MA

Central MA

Western MA

Central MA

Western MA

Southeast and Cape

Western MA

Southeast and Cape

Central MA

Central MA

Southeast and Cape

Central MA

Metro Boston

Central MA

Southeast and Cape

Central MA

Southeast and Cape

Metro Boston

Western MA

Central MA

Western MA

Central MA

Central MA

Southeast and Cape

Western MA

Central MA

Western MA

Ashland

Ashley Falls

Assonet

Athol

Attleboro

Auburn

Auburndale

Avon

Ayer

Back Bay

Baldwinville

Barnstable

Barre

Bass River

Beacon Hill

Becket

Bedford

Belchertown

Bellingham

Belmont

Berkley

Berkshire

Berlin

Bernardston

City/Town

Abington

Acton

Acushnet

Adams

Agawam

Air Station Cape Cod

Alford

Allston

Amesbury

Amherst

Andover

Aquinnah

Arlington

Ashburnham

Ashby

Ashfield

24

Check if Intend to Serve City/Town


Northeast

Northeast

Northeast

Central MA

Western MA

Central MA

Western MA

Metro Boston

Southeast and Cape

Central MA

Northeast

Central MA

Northeast

Central MA

Southeast and Cape

Southeast and Cape

Southeast and Cape

Metro Boston

Central MA

Southeast and Cape

Central MA

Metro Boston

Southeast and Cape

Western MA

Central MA

Southeast and Cape

Northeast

Central MA

Central MA

Central MA

Southeast and Cape

Southeast and Cape

Southeast and Cape

Western MA

Metro Boston

Central MA

Central MA

Central MA

Southeast and Cape

Northeast

Metro Boston

Central MA

Western MA

Western MA

Western MA

Central MA

Western MA

Beverly

Beverly Farms

Billerica

Blackstone

Blandford

Bolton

Bondsville

Boston

Bourne

Boxboro

Boxford

Boylston

Bradford

Braintree

BRANT ROCK

Brewster

Bridgewater

Brighton

Brimfield

Brockton

Brookfield

Brookline

Bryantville

Buckland

Burlington

Buzzards Bay

Byfield

Cambridge

Canton

Carlisle

Carver

Cataumet

Centerville

Charlemont

Charlestown

Charlton

Charlton City

Charlton Depot

Chatham

Chelmsford

Chelsea

Cherry Valley

Cheshire

Chester

Chesterfield

Chestnut Hill

Chicopee

25


Western MA

Southeast and Cape

Metro Boston

Western MA

Central MA

Central MA

Western MA

Metro Boston

Central MA

Western MA

Southeast and Cape

Southeast and Cape

Southeast and Cape

Western MA

Western MA

Northeast

Southeast and Cape

Central MA

Western MA

Southeast and Cape

Southeast and Cape

Southeast and Cape

Metro Boston

Metro Boston

Central MA

Central MA

Northeast

Central MA

Northeast

Southeast and Cape

Southeast and Cape

Southeast and Cape

Metro Boston

Northeast

Southeast and Cape

Southeast and Cape

Central MA

Northeast

Southeast and Cape

Central MA

Southeast and Cape

Southeast and Cape

Southeast and Cape

Western MA

Northeast

Southeast and Cape

Central MA

Chicopee Falls

Chilmark

Chinatown

Clarksburg

Clinton

Cohasset

Colrain

Columbia Point

Concord

Conway

Cotuit

Craigville

Cummaquid

Cummington

Dalton

Danvers

Dartmouth

Dedham

Deerfield

Dennis

Dennis Port

Dighton

Dorchester

DORCHESTR CTR

Douglas

Dover

Dracut

Dudley

Dunstable

Duxbury

E FALMOUTH

EA FALMOUTH

East Boston

East Boxford

East Braintree

East Bridgewater

East Brookfield

East Chelmsford

East Dennis

East Douglas

East Falmouth

East Freetown

East Harwich

East Longmeadow

EAST Lynn

East Mansfield

East Millbury

26


Central MA

Southeast and Cape

Western MA

Southeast and Cape

Western MA

Southeast and Cape

Central MA

Southeast and Cape

Southeast and Cape

Southeast and Cape

Central MA

Southeast and Cape

Western MA

Southeast and Cape

Southeast and Cape

Western MA

Western MA

Northeast

Northeast

Southeast and Cape

Southeast and Cape

Southeast and Cape

Western MA

Metro Boston

Central MA

Central MA

Western MA

Western MA

Southeast and Cape

Central MA

Central MA

Central MA

Central MA

Southeast and Cape

Central MA

Northeast

Central MA

Western MA

Western MA

Northeast

Western MA

Southeast and Cape

Central MA

Western MA

Western MA

Western MA

Southeast and Cape

East Milton

East Orleans

East Otis

East Sandwich

East Springfield

East Taunton

East Templeton

East Vineyard Haven

East Walpole

East Wareham

East Weymouth

Eastham

Easthampton

Easton

Edgartown

Egremont

Erving

Essex

Everett

Fairhaven

Fall River

Falmouth

Feeding Hills

Fenway

Fiskdale

Fitchburg

Florence

Florida

Forestdale

Fort Devens

Foxboro

Framingham

Franklin

Freetown

Gardner

Georgetown

Gilbertville

Gill

Glendale

Gloucester

Goshen

Gosnold

Grafton

Granby

Granville

Great Barrington

Green Harbor

27


Western MA

Central MA

Northeast

Western MA

Southeast and Cape

Northeast

Western MA

Western MA

Southeast and Cape

Southeast and Cape

Central MA

Central MA

Southeast and Cape

Southeast and Cape

Southeast and Cape

Western MA

Northeast

Northeast

Western MA

Western MA

Western MA

Central MA

Western MA

Southeast and Cape

Central MA

Central MA

Central MA

Western MA

Central MA

Central MA

Western MA

Central MA

Central MA

Central MA

Central MA

Western MA

Southeast and Cape

Southeast and Cape

Metro Boston

Western MA

Northeast

Metro Boston

Central MA

Southeast and Cape

Western MA

Southeast and Cape

Central MA

Greenfield

Groton

Groveland

Hadley

Halifax

Hamilton

Hampden

Hancock

Hanover

Hanson

Hardwick

Harvard

Harwich

Harwich Port

Hatchville

Hatfield

Hathorne

Haverhill

Hawley

Haydenville

Heath

Hingham

Hinsdale

Holbrook

Holden

Holland

Holliston

Holyoke

Hopedale

Hopkinton

Housatonic

Hubbardston

Hudson

Hull

Humarock

Huntington

Hyannis

Hyannisport

Hyde Park

Indian Orchard

Ipswich

Jamaica Plain

Jefferson

Kingston

Lake Pleasant

Lakeville

Lancaster

28


Western MA

Northeast

Western MA

Western MA

Central MA

Western MA

Western MA

Central MA

Western MA

Central MA

Western MA

Central MA

Central MA

Central MA

Western MA

Northeast

Western MA

Central MA

Northeast

Northeast

Northeast

Northeast

Central MA

Northeast

Southeast and Cape

Southeast and Cape

Northeast

Southeast and Cape

Central MA

Southeast and Cape

Southeast and Cape

Southeast and Cape

Southeast and Cape

Metro Boston

Southeast and Cape

Central MA

Central MA

Northeast

Central MA

Northeast

Central MA

Southeast and Cape

Northeast

Northeast

Southeast and Cape

Western MA

Northeast

Lanesboro

Lawrence

Lee

Leeds

Leicester

Lenox

Lenox Dale

Leominster

Leverett

Lexington

Leyden

Lincoln

Linwood

Littleton

Longmeadow

Lowell

Ludlow

Lunenburg

Lynn

Lynnfield

Magnolia

Malden

Manchaug

Manchester

Manomet

Mansfield

Marblehead

Marion

Marlborough

Marshfield

Marshfield Hills

Marstons Mills

Mashpee

Mattapan

Mattapoisett

Maynard

Medfield

Medford

Medway

Melrose

Mendon

Menemsha

Merrimac

Methuen

Middleboro

Middlefield

Middleton

29


Central MA

Western MA

Central MA

Western MA

Central MA

Central MA

Central MA

Central MA

Western MA

Metro Boston

Southeast and Cape

Western MA

Western MA

Western MA

Western MA

Western MA

Western MA

Western MA

Southeast and Cape

Western MA

Western MA

Western MA

Central MA

Central MA

Northeast

Southeast and Cape

Central MA

Central MA

Western MA

Southeast and Cape

Central MA

Western MA

Western MA

Western MA

Northeast

Northeast

Central MA

Central MA

Central MA

Central MA

Central MA

Central MA

Southeast and Cape

Western MA

Northeast

Southeast and Cape

Northeast

Milford

Mill River

Millbury

Millers Falls

Millis

Millville

Milton

Minot

Missing

Mission Hill

MONPONSETT

Monroe

Monson

Montague

Montague Center

Montague City

Monterey

Montgomery

Monument Beach

Mount Herman

Mt. Washington

N HATFIELD

N WEYMOUTH

Nagog Woods

Nahant

Nantucket

Natick

Needham

New Ashford

New Bedford

New Braintree

New Marlborough

New Marlborough

New Salem

Newbury

Newburyport

Newton

NEWTON CENTER

NEWTON HLDS

Newton Upper Falls

Newtonville

Norfolk

North Abington

North Adams

North Andover

North Attleboro

North Billerica

30


Southeast and Cape

Central MA

Southeast and Cape

Northeast

Southeast and Cape

Southeast and Cape

Southeast and Cape

Southeast and Cape

Western MA

Metro Boston

Southeast and Cape

Central MA

Southeast and Cape

Western MA

Western MA

Central MA

Central MA

Northeast

Central MA

Northeast

Southeast and Cape

Central MA

Central MA

Western MA

Central MA

Central MA

Western MA

Southeast and Cape

Central MA

Central MA

Northeast

Southeast and Cape

Central MA

Southeast and Cape

Western MA

Southeast and Cape

Southeast and Cape

Western MA

Central MA

Central MA

Western MA

Central MA

Northeast

Western MA

Southeast and Cape

Central MA

Western MA

Onset

Orange

Orleans

Osterville

Otis

Otter River

Oxford

Palmer

Paxton

Peabody

Pelham

Pembroke

Pepperell

Peru

North Bridgewater

North Brookfield

North Carver

North Chelmsford

North Dartmouth

North Dighton

North Eastham

North Easton

North Egremont

North End

North Falmouth

North Grafton

North Harwich

North Hatfield

North Orange

North Oxford

North Quincy

North Reading

North Scituate

North Tewksbury

North Truro

North Uxbridge

North Weymouth

Northampton

Northborough

Northbridge

Northfield

Norton

Norwell

Norwood

Nutting Lake

Oak Bluffs

Oakham

31


Western MA

Western MA

Northeast

Western MA

Western MA

Central MA

Southeast and Cape

Southeast and Cape

Southeast and Cape

Southeast and Cape

Northeast

Central MA

Southeast and Cape

Central MA

Central MA

Southeast and Cape

Northeast

Metro Boston

Southeast and Cape

Metro Boston

Western MA

Central MA

Southeast and Cape

Southeast and Cape

Northeast

Metro Boston

Western MA

Northeast

Metro Boston

Western MA

Western MA

Central MA

Central MA

Southeast and Cape

Southeast and Cape

Northeast

Northeast

Western MA

Southeast and Cape

Southeast and Cape

Southeast and Cape

Northeast

Western MA

Central MA

Southeast and Cape

Central MA

Western MA

Petersham

Phillipston

Pinehurst

Pittsfield

Plainfield

Plainville

Pleasant Lake

Plymouth

Plympton

Pocasset

Prides Crossing

Princeton

Provincetown

Quincy

Randolph

Raynham

Reading

Readville

Rehoboth

Revere

Richmond

Rochdale

Rochester

Rockland

Rockport

Roslindale

Rowe

Rowley

Roxbury

Royalston

Russell

Rutland

S WEYMOUTH

Sagamore

Sagamore Beach

Salem

Salisbury

Sandisfield

Sandwich

Sandwich Village

Santuit

Saugus

Savoy

Scituate

Seekonk

Sharon

Sheffield

32


Western MA

Western MA

Central MA

Central MA

Central MA

Central MA

Western MA

Southeast and Cape

Central MA

Western MA

Central MA

Western MA

Southeast and Cape

Central MA

Central MA

Metro Boston

Southeast and Cape

Southeast and Cape

Northeast

Southeast and Cape

Western MA

Southeast and Cape

Southeast and Cape

Western MA

Metro Boston

Southeast and Cape

Central MA

Central MA

Western MA

Northeast

Southeast and Cape

Central MA

Northeast

Southeast and Cape

Central MA

Northeast

Southeast and Cape

Southeast and Cape

Southeast and Cape

Southeast and Cape

Southeast and Cape

Central MA

Southeast and Cape

Western MA

Central MA

Central MA

Western MA

Shelburne

Shelburne Falls

Sheldonville

Sherborn

Shirley

Shrewsbury

Shutesbury

Somerset

Somerville

South Amherst

South Ashburnham

South Athol

South Attleboro

South Barre

South Berlin

South Boston

South Carver

South Chatham

South Chelmsford

South Dartmouth

South Deerfield

South Dennis

South Easton

South Egremont

South End

South Falmouth

South Gardner

South Grafton

South Hadley

South Hamilton

South Harwich

South Lancaster

South Lawrence

South Middleboro

South Natick

South Peabody

South Plymouth

South Plympton

South Sandwich

South Walpole

South Wellfleet

South Weymouth

South Yarmouth

Southampton

Southborough

Southbridge

Southfield

33


Western MA

Central MA

Western MA

Central MA

Central MA

Central MA

Central MA

Western MA

Northeast

Southeast and Cape

Central MA

Central MA

Central MA

Western MA

Central MA

Northeast

Southeast and Cape

Southeast and Cape

Southeast and Cape

Central MA

Northeast

Western MA

Western MA

Southeast and Cape

Western MA

Northeast

Central MA

Southeast and Cape

Western MA

Northeast

Western MA

Central MA

Central MA

Southeast and Cape

Central MA

Central MA

Northeast

Central MA

Central MA

Central MA

Southeast and Cape

Northeast

Western MA

Southeast and Cape

Central MA

Western MA

Western MA

Southwick

Spencer

Springfield

Squantum

Sterling

Sterling Junction

Still River

Stockbridge

Stoneham

Stoughton

Stow

Sturbridge

Sudbury

Sunderland

Sutton

Swampscott

Swansea

Taunton

Teaticket

Templeton

Tewksbury

Thorndike

Three Rivers

Tisbury

Tolland

Topsfield

Townsend

Truro

Turners Falls

Tyngsboro

Tyringham

Upton

Uxbridge

Vineyard Haven

W SOMERVILLE

Waban

Wakefield

Wales

Walpole

Waltham

Waquoit

Wardhill

Ware

Wareham

Warren

Warwick

Washington

34


Central MA

Central MA

Central MA

Central MA

Central MA

Southeast and Cape

Western MA

Northeast

Southeast and Cape

Northeast

Central MA

Southeast and Cape

Central MA

Southeast and Cape

Northeast

Western MA

Western MA

Southeast and Cape

Southeast and Cape

Central MA

Southeast and Cape

Western MA

Southeast and Cape

Southeast and Cape

Northeast

Northeast

Central MA

Central MA

Metro Boston

Western MA

Western MA

Southeast and Cape

Central MA

Southeast and Cape

Central MA

Western MA

Southeast and Cape

Southeast and Cape

Central MA

Western MA

Northeast

Western MA

Central MA

Central MA

Southeast and Cape

Southeast and Cape

Central MA

Watertown

Wayland

Webster

Wellesley

Wellesley Hills

Wellfleet

Wendell

Wenham

West Barnstable

West Boxford

West Boylston

West Bridgewater

West Brookfield

West Chatham

West Chelmsford

West Chesterfield

West Deerfield

West Dennis

West Falmouth

West Groton

West Harwich

West Hatfield

West Hyannis

West Hyannisport

West Lynn

West Newbury

West Newton

West Quincy

West Roxbury

West Springfield

West Stockbridge

West Tisbury

West Townsend

West Wareham

West Warren

West Whately

West Wrentham

West Yarmouth

Westborough

Westfield

Westford

Westhampton

Westminster

Weston

Westport

Westport Point

Westwood

35


Central MA

Western MA

Central MA

Southeast and Cape

Central MA

Southeast and Cape

Southeast and Cape

Western MA

Western MA

Western MA

Central MA

Central MA

Central MA

Central MA

Western MA

Metro Boston

Central MA

Central MA

Southeast and Cape

Central MA

Central MA

Western MA

Western MA

Central MA

Southeast and Cape

Southeast and Cape

Weymouth

Whately

Wheelwright

White Horse Beach

Whitinsville

Whitman

Wianno

Wilbraham

Williamsburg

Williamstown

Wilmington

Winchendon

Winchendon Springs

Winchester

Windsor

Winthrop

Woburn

Wollaston

Woods Hole

Woodville

Worcester

Woronoco

Worthington

Wrentham

Yarmouth

Yarmouthport

36


Appendix A: Budget Section Information

For the budget section of the application, applicants must fill out and return:

Part II – Budget Detail (This RFP requires the submission of two (2) “Budget Detail” worksheets. The

Budget Detail form is an excel document attached to this web posting. All applicants must submit one budget outlining their proposed allocation of funds for FY2011 (July 1, 2010 – June 30, 2011) and one to cover FY2012 (July 1, 2011 – August 1, 2011) portion of this grant funding since the grant duration crosses fiscal years.)

Part II – Budget Detail pages includes:



The budget detail form



Instructions and definitions on how to fill out the form



Instructions and relevant law regarding Mass Teachers’ Retirement System (MTRS)

Part II – Budget Narrative is a one page document that must:

 list all proposed expenditures;

 provide a detailed explanation of how the funds will be used; and

 adhere to the “fund use” section and other parameters detailed in the RFP

Part III: Budget Narrative (This RFP requires the submission of two (2) “Budget Narrative” worksheets.

All applicants must submit one budget narrative describing their proposed allocation of funds for FY2011

(July 1, 2010 – June 30, 2011) and one to cover FY2012 (July 1, 2011 – August 1, 2011) portion of this grant funding since the grant duration crosses fiscal years. The two required “Budget Narrative” documents can be found on the following two pages of this RFP.)

A Note About Mass Teachers’ Retirement System (MTRS):

For some grant applicants, Mass Teachers’ Retirement is not applicable (e.g. if an applicant is not a school system or charter school). County, municipal and district treasurers are required to make provisions for charging federal grants for pension costs of all active members of a retirement system whose salaries are paid from these grants. If the MTRS line of the budget does not apply to you, leave it blank.

A Note About Indirect Costs:

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (ESE) determines an indirect cost rate for each city, town, or regional school district for application to state and federal grants and contracts, unless prohibited by federal regulations. If used, the indirect cost figure must be equal to or less than the approved restricted rate. The decision to recover indirect costs using these established rates is a local option. The rates are developed for school districts as the maximum allowable rate for a given fiscal year.

For EEC grants, applicants may use their ESE approved indirect cost rate. However, you must adhere to any grant administration restrictions in each grant RFP, (found in the “Fund Use” section), and this might affect the amount of indirect applicants opt to budget for.

37


If an applicant does not have an ESE approved indirect rate, they may still budget for indirect costs but

EEC reserves the right to limit and negotiate the amount of indirect costs budgeted and often will outline parameters around such budgeting in the “Fund Use” section of the RFP.

38


Appendix C: Payment Terms, Grant Expenditures, Termination, Recoupment of Funds, and Relevant Law

Amendments to required services or deliverables which do not affect funding changes:

If during the project, either EEC or a Grantee would like to request a change in the required services, deliverables, or timeline, EEC or the Grantee may propose such changes to the other. The parties must mutually agree to such change(s) in writing. A written memorandum may be used to memorialize such changes; a formal grant amendment will not be required.

Budget Adjustments: If during the project, a Grantee would like to request a change from the original approved budget, thus changing deliverables, or timeline, the Grantee may propose such changes to EEC who may agree to implement such changes. This is done by filing a Budget Adjustment Request Form.

A Budget Adjustment Request Form is required 30 days in advance of proposed changes and in any case where the original budget line is changed by more than 10%. EEC reserves the right to approve or deny any proposed changes.

Grantees are encouraged to use Electronic Funds Transfers (EFT). EFT allows for payments to be made from the Commonwealth to grantees electronically and is the preferred method of payment for all payees doing business with the Commonwealth. Use of EFT significantly reduces payment delays through a reduction in processing and mailing time. Registering a grantee for EFT payments requires completion of an Electronic Funds Transfer form by the Grantee and submission to EEC as part of contract execution.

First quarter grant payments will be released to you automatically, once your grant has been

programmatically approved and then processed by the grants unit. It is the responsibility of the grantee to request subsequent quarterly payments. To initiate subsequent grant payments, grantees must submit a

Request for Funds Form. Throughout the grant term, grantees must seek EEC’s approval for any budget changes by filing EEC Amendment Forms. Within sixty (60) days of the termination of a grant, a grantee must submit an FR1 Final Financial Report and repay the Commonwealth for any unexpended funds. These forms are available at EEC’s website, www.mass.gov/eec , under the Grants section.

Request for Funds forms must mailed (hard copy) to the following address:

Attn: Accounting Unit

Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care

51 Sleeper Street, 4 th Floor

Boston, MA 02210

All grant recipients must use the grant monies in accordance with the terms and requirements set forth in this Request for Proposal (RFP), the Commonwealth Terms and Conditions, in addition to applicable EEC policies, regulations and/or state or federal laws. EEC reserves the right to recoup any and all monies which are not spent in accordance with such terms, conditions, policies, regulations, and/or laws. EEC further

39

Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care – FY11/FY12 Physical Environments – Fund Code #107 reserves the right to terminate grant funding to any recipient who violates any of the grant terms, requirements, and/or conditions which are incorporated into this RFP. EEC has the right to suspend, amend, and/or terminate the grant funding in the event of a Budget reduction initiated under M.G.L. c.

29, sec. 9C.

The selected grantee must comply with all applicable provisions of the Massachusetts General Laws,

State Finance Law, 815 Code of Massachusetts Regulations 2.00 et seq. (regarding grants), and the

Office of the State Comptroller’s policies and procedures regarding grants.

40


Appendix D: Terms and Conditions of CCDF ARRA Grant Funding to State Departments

The recipient(s) of this grant is subject to the following terms and conditions of funding:

ADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES

OFFICE OF FAMILY ASSISTANCE

CHILD CARE AND DEVELOPMENT FUND, RECOVERY ACT FUNDS

STATES AND TERRITORIES

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

FISCAL YEAR 2009

These terms and conditions apply to the supplemental Discretionary Child Care and Development Fund

(CCDF) grant awards issued as a result of appropriations made by the American Recovery and

Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). By acceptance of this award, the State or Territory agrees to comply with the terms and conditions detailed below. Failure to comply with these terms and conditions may result in the loss of Federal funds and may be considered grounds for the suspension or termination of this grant.

These supplemental funds together with Discretionary funds provided through the Omnibus

Appropriations Act, 2009 (Public Law 111-8), and Mandatory and Matching funds, constitute the aggregate CCDF grant award for FY 2009.

This supplemental award is subject to the following terms, conditions and provisions:

PROGRAM STANDARDS

1. The provisions of the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Act of 1990 as amended, the

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, and the provisions of the current approved

CCDF State plan, including all approved amendments or revisions.

ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS

2. The following regulations from Title 45 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR):

45 CFR Part 98 - Child Care and Development Fund; Final Rule

45 CFR Part 99 - Procedures for Hearings for the Child Care and Development Fund

3. The following Circulars from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB):

41


OMB Circular A-133, Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations and the Single

Audit Act of 1984, as amended.

4. ARRA funds must be obligated by September 30, 2010 and liquidated by September 30, 2011.

Discretionary funds are 100% Federal funds and no State match is required. ARRA directs that the funds shall be used to supplement, not supplant, State general revenue funds for child care assistance for lowincome families. a. The ARRA targeted specific amounts for the following activities:



Child Care Quality Improvement ($161.6 million)



Infant and Toddler Quality Improvement ($93.6 million) b. These targeted amounts are in addition to targeted funds contained in the Omnibus

Appropriations Act, 2009 (Public Law 111-8). c. The expenditures of these targeted amounts are not counted as quality activities for purposes of meeting the 4% minimum quality expenditure requirement at section 6586 of the CCDBG Act.

These targeted amounts are in addition to expenditures under the 4% quality requirement. d. The required amount of targeted funds for each State and Territory can be found on the Child

Care Bureau's website at: http://www.acf.dl~hs.~ov/programs/ccb/law/aIlocations/state.htm

5. Not less than 4% of the total expenditures of aggregate FY 2009 CCDF Federal funds (includes all supplemental CCDF Discretionary ARRA funds, regular Discretionary funds, Mandatory funds, and

Matching funds) and State Matching funds must be expended on quality activities. This includes funds transferred from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program into CCDF.

6. Not more than 5% of the total expenditures of aggregate FY 2009 CCDF Federal funds (includes supplemental CCDF Discretionary ARRA funds, regular Discretionary funds, Mandatory funds, and

Matching funds) and State matching funds may be expended on administrative costs. This includes funds transferred from TANF to CCDF.

7. Direct Federal grants, sub-awards, or contracts under this program shall not be used to support inherently religious activities such as religious instruction, worship, or proselytization. Therefore, organizations must take steps to separate, in time or location, their inherently religious activities from the services funded under this program. (See 45 CFR Part 98.54)

8. Federal grant funds provided under this award may not be used by the grantee or any sub-grantee to support lobbying activities to influence proposed or pending Federal or State legislation or appropriations. This prohibition is related to the use of Federal grant funds and is not intended to affect an individual's right or that of any organization, to petition Congress, or any other level of Government, through the use of other resources. (See 45 CFR Part 93)

42


9. In accordance with Public Law 103-333, the "Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and

Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 1995," the following provisions are applicable to this grant award:

Section 507: "Purchase of American-Made Equipment and Products - It is the sense of the

Congress that, to the greatest extent practicable, all equipment and products purchased with funds made available in this Act should be American-made."

Section 508: "When issuing statements, press releases, requests for proposals, bid solicitations and other documents describing projects or programs funded in whole or in part with Federal money, all States receiving Federal funds, including but not limited to State and local governments and recipients of Federal research grants, shall clearly state (1) the percentage of the total costs of the program or project which will be financed with Federal money, (2) the dollar amount of Federal funds for the project or program, and (3) percentage and dollar amount of the total costs of the project or program that will be financed by nongovernmental sources."

10. In accordance with Part C of Public Law 103-227, the "Pro-Children Act of 1994," smoking may not be permitted in any portion of any indoor facility owned or leased or contracted by an entity and used regularly for the provision of health, day care, education, or library services to children under the age of

18, if the services are funded by Federal programs whether directly or through State or local governments. Federal programs include grants, cooperative agreements, loans and loan guarantees, and contracts. The law does not apply to children's services provided in private residences, facilities funded solely by Medicare or Medicaid funds, and portions of facilities used for inpatient drug and alcohol treatment.

The above language must be included in any sub-awards that contain provisions for children's services and that all sub-grantees shall certify compliance accordingly. Failure to comply with the provisions of this law may result in the imposition of a civil monetary penalty of up to $1,000 per day.

SUB-RECIPIENTS AND VENDORS UNDER GRANTS

11. States are required to determine recipient type when sub-granting or contracting using Federal funds. Recipient type includes sub-grantees, sub-recipients, vendors and contractors. OMB Circular A-

133 establishes the standards for determining the difference between a sub-grantee and a vendor, based on the substance of the relationship with the State, rather than the form of the agreement.

* A recipient is considered a sub-grantee and is subject to OMB Circular A-133 if it meets the following conditions: a. Determines who is eligible to receive what Federal financial assistance; b. Has its performance measured against whether the objectives of the Federal program are met; c. Has responsibility for programmatic decision making;

43

Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care – FY11/FY12 Physical Environments – Fund Code #107 d. Has responsibility for adherence to applicable Federal program compliance requirements; and e. Uses the Federal funds to carry out a program of the organization as compared to providing goods or services for a program of the pass-through entity.

A recipient is considered a vendor and is not subject to OMB Circular A-133 if it meets the following conditions: a. Provides the goods and services within normal business operations; b. Provides similar goods or services to many different purchasers; c. Operates in a competitive environment; d. Provides goods or services that are ancillary to the operation of the Federal program; e. Is not subject to compliance requirements of the Federal program.

12. States are required to advise sub-grantees/sub-recipients of requirements imposed on them by

Federal laws, regulations, and the provisions of grant agreements or contracts as well as any supplemental requirements imposed by the State. These include grant administrative requirements and cost principles according to recipient type. For example, nonprofit sub-recipients are subject to the cost principles at OMB Circular A-122; educational institution sub-recipients are subject to those at OMB

Circular A-2 I ; and commercial organization vendors or subcontractors are subject to the cost principles under 48 CFR Part 3 1. Sub-recipients and sub-grantees are also subject to the provisions of OMB

Circular A- 133.

13. States must ensure that sub-recipients and sub-grantees expending more than $500,000 or more in

Federal awards during the sub-recipient/sub-grantee's fiscal year have an audit in compliance with the requirements of OMB Circular A- 133.

FINANCIAL AND PROGRAM PROGRESS REPORTING

14. States and Territories are required to comply with reporting requirements under the American

Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, including section 1512 of the Act. The law includes clear expectations that States and other recipients of ARRA stimulus funds will be held accountable for how funds are expended and what benefits are derived from the use of these funds. ACF anticipates requests for spending and performance data that will be posted on the www.recovery.gov website. Therefore,

States should anticipate accountability and transparency requirements specific to this grant award and take steps to ensure that information on the State-reported impact of these expenditures will be available to the public.

15. In accordance with 45 CFR 98.65 and ACF instructions, the grantee must submit a quarterly financial status report (ACF-696) of expenditures and next quarter estimates. A separate quarterly expenditure report is required for each fiscal year until all funds have been liquidated for the reported fiscal year.

44


16. States and Territories must report separately on expenditures from ARRA funds. Therefore, Lead

Agencies will be required to submit CCDF financial status reports that separately detail categorical expenditures from the CCDF Discretionary ARRA funds.

NOTE: The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) maintains FraudNET, a system for reporting allegations of fraud, waste and abuse under Federal grants and cooperative agreements. Reports are kept confidential; you need not provide your name. Information provided through the Internet web site is secure and all information is safeguarded against unauthorized disclosure.

To report the possible misuse of federal funds, the E-mail address is fraudnet@nao.rrov

; the fax number is 202-512-3086 and the mailing address is GAO FraudNET, 441 G Street N.W., Washington, D.C. 20548.

When you submit allegations, please provide as much detailed information as possible.

45

Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care Request for Proposals

Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care

Request for Proposals

Part I

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