600 Washington Street, 6 th
Floor
Boston, Massachusetts 02111
350 Main Street, 4 th
Floor
Malden, Massachusetts 02148
Tel: 617-988-6600
Fax: 617-988-2451
Tel: 781-338-6364
Fax: 781-338-3370
Ann Reale
Commissioner
Board of Early Education and Care
Minutes
December 6, 2005
1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Ashburton Café Conference Room, Basement Floor
One Ashburton Place, Boston, MA 02108
Members of the Board of Early Education and Care Present:
Timothy Murphy, Chairman
Elizabeth Childs
Julie P. Culhane
David P. Driscoll
Christopher E. Goode
Linda Mason
Bernard Russell, Jr.
Patricia Plummer, Board of Higher Education designee
Ann Reale, Commissioner of Early Education and Care
Members of the Board of Early Education and Care Absent:
Judith Gill
Chairman Murphy called the meeting to order at 1:08 pm.
For information on EEC's activities and children’s issues, visit us at www.mass.gov/EEC .
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600 Washington Street, 6 th
Floor
Boston, Massachusetts 02111
350 Main Street, 4 th
Floor
Malden, Massachusetts 02148
Tel: 617-988-6600
Fax: 617-988-2451
Tel: 781-338-6364
Fax: 781-338-3370
Routine Business:
Welcome from the Chair
Agency Updates from the Commissioner
EEC's New Central Office: The new central office space will be located at 51 Sleeper
Street in the Fort Point Channel area of downtown Boston. The new space will bring all of EEC central office staff together in one place, and is located in a child-focused neighborhood – adjacent to the Children’s Museum and right around the corner from the
Department of Social Services. EEC central office staff will all be located on one floor
(the 4th), which was a major factor in the bid process. The space is now totally gutted and ready to be designed for EEC’s needs, including a conference/Board room that will hold up to 150 people. The new location offers plenty of easily accessible parking, basement storage, and a back-up generator. The space also has plenty of light, terrific views and is located on the edge of a new and up and coming area, which is reflective of where we are going- in a new direction to help children and families in Massachusetts thrive. Because the new space must still be fully “built-out” and furnished, a target move date will be sometime in March 2006.
New Associate Commissioner: Karen Tewhey will be joining EEC as Associate
Commissioner for Quality and Workforce Development as of December 27, 2005, and will be based in the Malden Office. Karen's expertise and experience will be an asset to
EEC.
Regional Forums: The regional forums held so far in Chicopee and Quincy were a great success. The traveling road show this week will bring EEC to Taunton, Worcester, and
Salem. The last of the six will be December 21 in Roxbury. Many thanks for all who have helped organize these events across the state. The meetings have been extremely well attended and have been a great opportunity to share information about the new
Department and to hear feedback, comments and concerns from diverse members of the early childhood field.
Consolidated Waitlist Project: Thanks to the hard work of the waiting list project team, the trainings for the new EEC consolidated waiting list are well underway across the state and the new system should be up and running by January. For the first time, families waiting for child care will all be on one, real-time, consolidated list, and providers and others looking to place those families will be able to access this information via the internet quickly and easily. This has been an amazing feat to pull off in a very short period of time, made possible by the collaboration among EEC staff.
For information on EEC's activities and children’s issues, visit us at www.mass.gov/EEC .
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I.
Statements from the Public
•
Grace Richardson, regarding family child care providers
•
Bill Eddy, Massachusetts Association of Day Care Agencies, regarding distribution of rate reserve
•
Shelley Gross, Medford Public Schools, regarding community partnerships for children
•
Len Lubinsky, Hampshire Educational Collaborative
Approval of the November 1, 2005 Minutes
On a motion duly made and seconded, it was:
VOTED: unanimously, that the Board of Early Education and Care approve the minutes of the November 1, 2005 regular meeting as presented by the
Commissioner.
Summary of Findings:
Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (CCR&Rs) and Community Partnerships for Children (CPC) Delivery System Report
Kathy Fallon and Jill Reynolds, Public Consulting Group
Early Education and Care FY06 Policy Project Information:
Please refer to Appendix I to view the PCG presentation.
Access Challenges
•
Choice of provider driven by funding stream
•
No single source of complete information
•
Conflicting eligibility standards
•
Wait list not reliable
•
Administrative infrastructure not aligned
•
Multiple family support programs not aligned
Different eligibility criteria and inconsistent information lead to uneven access for families.
Family support programs will be discussed more at a later date.
Access Guiding Principles
•
Minimize administration, maximize automation
•
Empower parents to make good decisions for their children
•
Empower providers to make good decisions for their programs to improve quality and business practices
For information on EEC's activities and children’s issues, visit us at www.mass.gov/EEC .
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•
Make policy at state-level that empowers parents and providers
•
Ensure consistent “upload and download” of data and information to make good policy
•
Maintain diversity and community focus for service delivery
•
Emphasize coordination/collaboration with other programs and agencies to improve outcomes
Early Education and Care in Massachusetts
Key Functions and Administrative Infrastructure
Set policies and rates
License, authorize and monitor providers
Provide financial assistance to families
Conduct outreach and manage intake/eligibility for financial assistance
Provide services for children with special needs
Provide information and referral to families on early education and care options
Deliver family support services/parent education
Conduct research and collect/manage data
Provide training, professional development and other quality supports to providers
Ensure coordination and collaboration among early education and care services/programming
USDOE
MA EEC
CCR&Rs (14)
USDHHS
CPC Local
Councils
(164
)
Local Education
Agencies (~308)
Providers (~12,000)
Other State
Agencies
Individual Child Care
EEC
Regional
Offices (5)
. . . no match between function and level. Key functions should align vertically and horizontally to ensure accountability, coordination and efficiency.
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Determining appropriate decision-making and functions, by level
Which level should perform key functions, and make which decisions?
State Level: What policies are best for our state?
Local/Regional Level: Support system designed to facilitate state, parent, and provider decisions – to be informed by PCG study.
Parent Level: What is best for my family or child?
Provider Level: What is best for my business/school and the children it serves?
Access Steps
Short Term (FY06)
•
Establish consistent eligibility factors, balancing needs of parent and child
•
Infrastructure: Determine appropriate decision-making and functions to be performed at state, regional and local levels
Intermediate (FY07)
•
Fully automate intake, eligibility and referral AND align infrastructure to:
•
Empower parents and providers in good decision-making
•
Facilitate transitions between/among programs
•
Minimize administration
•
Generate reliable data
For information on EEC's activities and children’s issues, visit us at www.mass.gov/EEC .
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II. Information Technology Plan
The Board discussed a draft of EEC’s Information Technology Needs and
Strategic Plan. This report, required by the Legislature through the FY06 budget, explains the need for a comprehensive overhaul of the agency’s current datagathering and transaction-processing systems. The primarily paper-based nature of EEC’s business practices; the lack of comprehensive information on children, families, and providers; and the fragmentation of current data are outlined as significant challenges in the current system. The report details a series of 25 projects that, once implemented over the next two and a half years, will effectively replace the current systems with a new IT infrastructure and a new generation of completely integrated, Web-based applications.
Projects include: redesigning and adding new functions to EEC’s Web site to make it user-friendly and helpful to families, providers, and other stakeholders; using the Web site to process much of the agency’s business, from eligibility determination to reimbursement for services; setting up an early childhood educator database; and building the groundwork for longitudinal studies of child outcomes.
Outline of Report:
1.
Build the foundation- internal IT infrastructure improvements
2.
Centralize existing data- move all data to state level
3.
Improve access to existing data- add reporting functionality
4.
Expand depth and breadth of data
5.
Automate transactions
6.
Streamline internal processes
7.
Conduct a longitudinal study of child outcomes
A complete version of the report will be found on the EEC website by the end of the week of December 5, 2005.
Rates and Payment Steps
Short Term (FY06)
•
Allocate $12.5M rate reserve
•
Allocate $1.35M Head Start increase
•
Transition toward consistent payment method (PCG Report)
Intermediate (FY07)
•
Develop new rate schedule, based on cost, not price
•
Reduce rate disparity
•
Reduce time to payment using automation
•
Phase in consistent payment method
For information on EEC's activities and children’s issues, visit us at www.mass.gov/EEC .
5

III. Rate reserve funds allocation
Rate Reserve Options
Option 1: 100% used for Across-the-Board increase
•
Same percentage increase for all voucher/contract rates
•
In line with many providers’ expectations
•
Does not address rate disparities
Option 2: 100% used for Disparity Reduction
•
Different percentage increase for various voucher/contract rates, depending on gap
from 75th percentile of private market rates
•
Not in line with many providers’ expectations
•
Addresses rate disparities
Option 3: Combination of Across-the-Board / Disparity Reduction
•
Provide some across-the-board increase to all voucher/contract rates
•
Target remaining reserve funds to disparity reduction
•
In line with providers’ relative needs, but not necessarily expectations
•
Somewhat reduces rate disparities
Range of Across-the-Boards and Disparity Reductions
Across-the-Board
% Increase
Rates Disparity
Reduction
Option 1 3.75% $12.5 M
Option 2 - $0.0 M
-
Raise all rates statewide to at least 35 th
%ile of
Private Market
$0.0 M
$12.5 M
Option 3 1% $3.3 M
Raise all rates statewide to at least 30 th
%ile of
Private Market
$9.2 M
Rate Reserve Recommendation
Option 1: 100% used for Across-the-Board Increase
•
Provides 3.75% increase in all standard voucher and contract rates *
•
Equitable and in line with most providers’ expectations
•
Available benchmark for disparity reduction (2002 private market rates) is outdated, and not reflective of true cost of providing care
•
Future rate changes can be informed by up-to-date private market rates and comprehensive cost and revenue information, from upcoming Market Rate Survey
* CPC providers paid at standard voucher/contract rates also will receive 3.75% increase, funded primarily from unallocated CPC program funds.
For information on EEC's activities and children’s issues, visit us at www.mass.gov/EEC .
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On a motion duly made and seconded, it was:
VOTED: unanimously, that the Board of Early Education and Care approve the increases in reimbursement rates paid to providers of subsidized early education and care services.
IV.
Head Start funds allocation
Background
•
Predominantly half-day, school-year
•
Comprehensive school readiness program
•
Eligibility: o Family income < 100% FPL (< 25% Massachusetts SMI) o Up to 10% permitted to exceed income requirement o 10% of capacity for children with disabilities o No work requirement for families
•
$6.6B in federal funds serves 910,000 children
In Massachusetts:
•
Serves approximately 13,000 children
•
93% federally funded ($106.8M), 7% state ($7.5M)
•
Massachusetts is one of 17 states that provide supplemental Head Start funding
Head Start Funding Recommendation
•
Head Start state line-item first funded in 1987 for two purposes: o Supplemental Salary Grant: to improve quality at Head Start programs
• o Expansion Grant: to provide additional Head Start services
FY06 Budget provides $7.5M:
•
$6.15M already allocated to 30 Head Start programs as in FY05 and prior years o $1.35M increase not yet allocated
Recommendation:
•
Allocate increase proportionately to existing grantees
•
Working with federal HHS/ACF, request additional information re: use of state funding in conjunction with other state and federal funds
•
Align future state Head Start funding priorities with statewide quality initiatives as EEC develops new system of early education and care
On a motion duly made and seconded, it was:
VOTED: unanimously that the Board of Early Education and Care approve the Department’s budget and guidelines for the disbursement of grants to Head Start programs.
Quality: Challenges
•
Multiple regulations and standards lead to uneven licensure and accreditation requirements.
For information on EEC's activities and children’s issues, visit us at www.mass.gov/EEC .
7

•
Duplicative program licensing, accreditation and monitoring leads to increased admin, not quality.
•
Multiple certification/training requirements not connected to career path
•
Useful, flexible, child assessment should be developed, not consistent now.
Administrative policies and requirements not aligned to support continuous quality improvement. We must balance quality improvements with impact on rates and access.
Quality Guiding Principles
•
Include family child care, public schools, group child care, Head Start, faith-based care, other non-profit programs
•
Build on strengths of current system regulations and standards
•
Include children of all abilities, from birth through school age
•
Base on knowledge of child growth, development and outcomes
•
Develop and implement with thorough input from all stakeholders
•
Support all providers to continuously improve programs
•
Ensure that parents have a variety of program choices
•
Balance improvements with affordability for parents
•
Embrace diversity and cultural competency
•
Draw on other stakeholders’ quality improvement projects
•
Continue to be a national model in early education and care
Any changes in requirements or quality improvements will be thoughtful and supportive of the rich variety of care options we currently have.
Quality Improvement Continuum-
Align administrative requirements to support continuous improvement
25
For information on EEC's activities and children’s issues, visit us at www.mass.gov/EEC .
8

V.
Options for alignment of standards and regulations
EEC currently enforces six separate sets of licensing regulations: family child care, group and school age care, CORI, enforcement, child placement and adoption, and residential programs. Two sets of licensing regulations will be directly affected by an alignment process – family child care, group and school age care; and two – CORI and enforcement, will be impacted slightly by any changes. Child placement and adoption, and residential programs regulations will not be affected by the alignment process.
Align Standards and Regulations
Background Example: Center-based Pre-K Provider
Current requirements touch on similar areas, but with varying degrees of detail.
EEC Licensing Regulations
EEC Pre-K Program Standards
(Blue Book)
Head Start/PRISM
9 9 9 + 9 9
9 + 9 + 9 9 + 9 +
9
9
NAEYC Accreditation
EEC Pre-K Curriculum Guidelines
(Green Book)
9 + 9 + 9 + 9 + 9 + 9 +
9 + 9 + 9 + 9 + 9 + 9 +
9 + 9 + 9   
9 = required  =not addressed 9 + = required, in detail
Standards and regulations should be aligned to build quality, balance specificity, and avoid administrative confusion.
22
Align Standards and Regulations
Option 1: Continue on current path*
1 month- 2 years, 9 mos.
Family
Child Care
Center-Based and School
Age
R
Public
School n/a
2 years, 9 mos. - K
R R
CPC only: R + S
S
K - Age 12
K - Age 14 n/a
R n/a
(or R/S**)
Current status:
Standards developed and implemented
R = EEC Regulations (varied by program type)
S = DOE/EEC Standards aligned with federal regulations only for center-based, CPC-funded, pre-K
R/S** = Public School Schoolage programs are license-exempt, but a few choose to be licensed
*Please note that options presented here are only initial thoughts about potential changes in the system. Actual changes regarding this issue will only be made after a thorough and thoughtful process involving all stakeholders.
In the meantime, all current regulations remain in effect.
23
For information on EEC's activities and children’s issues, visit us at www.mass.gov/EEC .
9

R = EEC Regulations (varied by program type)
S = DOE/EEC Standards aligned with federal regulations
R/S** = Public School Schoolage programs are license-exempt, but a few choose to be licensed
*Please note that options presented here are only initial thoughts about potential changes in the system. Actual changes regarding this issue will only be made after a thorough and thoughtful process involving all stakeholders. In the meantime, all current regulations remain in effect.
Step 1: Develop new standards
Step 2: Conform regulations
1 month- 2 years, 9 mos.
Family
Child Care
Center-Based and School
Age
R + S
Public
School n/a
2 years, 9 mos. - K R + S
R + S (R) + S
K - Age 12
K - Age 14
R + S (R) + S
?
R = EEC Regulations (varied by program type)
S = EEC Standards (for public school programs, will align with existing DOE standards)
(R) = Regulations may apply to public school programs, but implementation will need to be reconciled with DOE requirements made after a thorough and thoughtful process involving all stakeholders.
24
R = EEC Regulations (varied by program type)
S = EEC Standards (for public school programs, will align with existing DOE standards)
(R) = Regulations may apply to public school programs, but implementation will need to be reconciled with DOE requirements
*Please note that options presented here are only initial thoughts about potential changes in the system. Actual changes regarding this issue will only be made after a thorough and thoughtful process involving all stakeholders. In the meantime, all current regulations and standards remain in effect.
For information on EEC's activities and children’s issues, visit us at www.mass.gov/EEC .
10

Align Standards and Regulations
Option 2: Flexible and streamlined system
Incorporating standards and regulations into new structure reflective of child development stages and setting size*
Small
Group or
Family
( ≤ 10)
Large
Group or
School
(11 +)**
Infant/ Toddler
Pre-K/ Kindergarten
Younger School Age
Older School Age
Core
R
Core R = Regulations emphasizing core intent appropriate to all settings and ages, with some flexibility in implementation
** Regulations may apply to public school programs, but implementation will need to be reconciled with DOE requirements
Specific regulatory requirements by age and developmental stage of child, and setting size
*Please note that options presented here are only initial thoughts about potential changes in the system. Actual changes regarding this issue will only be made after a thorough and thoughtful process involving all stakeholders. In the meantime, all current regulations and standards remain in effect.
Core R = Regulations emphasizing core intent appropriate to all settings and ages, with some flexibility in implementation
** Regulations may apply to public school programs, but implementation will need to be reconciled with DOE requirements
Specific regulatory requirements by age and developmental stage of child, and setting size
*Please note that options presented here are only initial thoughts about potential changes in the system. Actual changes regarding this issue will only be made after a thorough and thoughtful process involving all stakeholders. In the meantime, all current regulations and standards remain in effect.
Either option will…
•
Be based on the Quality Guiding Principles (slide # 19)
•
Involve and align with other regulatory agencies (DOE, DSS, DPH, Head Start, etc.)
•
Be aimed at improving quality and building a system
For information on EEC's activities and children’s issues, visit us at www.mass.gov/EEC .
11

Comparison of options to align standards and regulations
Improved Quality
Option 1:
Current Path
•
Yes
Option 2:
Streamlined System
•
Yes
Flexible system for children, families and providers
•
No additional flexibility
•
Continues current constraints by age and setting
•
Flexibility without compromising quality
•
Flexible transitions for children
•
Flexible age grouping for providers
•
Provider flexibility to meet changing needs of community and capacity
•
Shorter development time
•
Consistent and
simultaneous training
Time to Implement
Administrative Efficiency
(for Commonwealth & EEC workforce)
Internal EEC Organizational
Challenge
Ease of Access to Regulatory
Information
•
Longer term
•
Phased-in under current categorization of age & type
•
Increased complexity developing separate standards, training, implementation, paperwork
•
Fewer changes to forms and processes
•
Difficult
•
Easier to develop
•
Less paperwork and administrative burden
•
Integrated professional development opportunities
•
Significant change to forms and processes
•
User-friendly
Stages of Regulation Development
•
Board provides input on alignment approach
•
EEC develops draft regulations
•
Intensive external review process
January – Summer 2006
December 2005
Fall/Winter 2006
•
Public comment/promulgation
•
Implementation preparation
•
Board vote after revisions*
•
Technical
•
New regulations take effect**
Early 2007
Early 2007
June 2007
Summer/Fall 2007
Fall 2007
*Board will receive regular updates on progress of development and major policy issues
**Some regulations may be phased in over time
The Board discussed the standards and regulations alignment proposal briefly and acknowledged the compelling arguments for initiating such a process. Further discussion will be had at the January 3, 2006 meeting.
For information on EEC's activities and children’s issues, visit us at www.mass.gov/EEC .
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VI.
Preview of Workforce Development Plan
Outline for Workforce Development Plan:
1.
Data on workforce- critical to inform decisions
2.
Matrix of Core Competencies and skills
3.
Evaluation system to measure mastery of #2
4.
Credentialing and career path built on #2 and 3
5.
Alignment with other partners to implement #2-4
Common Themes among all Core Competencies:
•
Understanding of child development, behavior and learning domains
•
Interaction with family, child and community
•
Program planning, instruction and curriculum development
•
Ongoing child and program assessment
•
Ongoing professional growth and development
7
Outline for Workforce Development Plan
Matrix of Core Competencies and Skills
Knowledge
Skills and
Professional
Attitude
Understanding of Child Development, Behavior and Learning
Domains
Interaction with Family, Child and Community
Program planning, instruction and curriculum development
Ongoing program and child assessment
Ongoing professional growth and development
To be developed with input from field, used for:
Evaluation
Credentialing
Career path
Professional development
32
The January 3, 2006 meeting will feature a Board vote on the Workforce Development Plan and further analysis of subsidy eligibility criteria and infrastructure alignment.
For information on EEC's activities and children’s issues, visit us at www.mass.gov/EEC .
13

On a motion duly made and seconded, it was:
VOTED: unanimously that the meeting adjourn at 3:15 p.m., subject to the call of the Chairman.
Respectfully submitted,
Ann J. Reale
Commissioner of Early Education and Care
For information on EEC's activities and children’s issues, visit us at www.mass.gov/EEC .
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