MASSACHUSETTS
DEPARTMENT OF EARLY EDUCATION AND CARE
THE CAPACITY OF THE
EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION SYSTEM
SEPTEMBER 2009
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................................... 1
Strategic Direction: Quality: Create and implement a system to improve and support quality statewide. .......................... 1
Definition of Quality ........................................................................................................................................................... 1
Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) ............................................................................................................... 1
School readiness assessments and program evaluations .................................................................................................. 2
Comprehensive services .................................................................................................................................................... 6
Mental Health Consultation Services ............................................................................................................................. 6
Decreasing Expulsion Rates ........................................................................................................................................... 8
Birth to School-Age Taskforce ............................................................................................................................................ 8
After-School and Out of School Time ............................................................................................................................... 11
Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) ....................................................................................... 11
Quality Rating and Improvement System – AS/OST STANDARDS................................................................................ 11
Youth Worker certifications ......................................................................................................................................... 11
ARRA Summer Learning Vouchers ............................................................................................................................... 12
Facilities Inventory ........................................................................................................................................................... 13
Collaboration and coordination of resources .................................................................................................................. 15
Strategic Direction: Increase and promote family support, access and affordability. ......................................................... 16
Family Access and Affordability ....................................................................................................................................... 16
EEC provides multiple points of entry and outreach for families including those in hard to reach populations ............ 18
Local and Regional Coordination ..................................................................................................................................... 21
Re-Procurement of Child Care Resource and Referral Contracts .................................................................................... 23
Translation ....................................................................................................................................................................... 24
EEC Website to Make Google Translation Service Available ....................................................................................... 24
Interagency Collaboration with the Head Start State Collaboration Office (HSSCO) and the Office of Refugees and
Immigrants (ORI) .......................................................................................................................................................... 24
Trial Court Care ................................................................................................................................................................ 24
Strategic Direction: Create a workforce system that maintains worker diversity and provides resources, supports,
expectations, & core competencies that lead to the outcomes we want for children. ...................................................... 26
EEC core competencies ................................................................................................................................................ 27
Early Childhood Educators’ Scholarship ....................................................................................................................... 27
Building Careers in Early Education and Care .............................................................................................................. 28
Building Careers: College Courses in Special Education ............................................................................................... 28
CDA Scholarship Program ............................................................................................................................................ 29
Program and Practitioner Support Grants ................................................................................................................... 29
Child Care Resource and Referral Professional Development ..................................................................................... 30
Professional Development Registry ............................................................................................................................. 30
EEC Professional Development Calendar ..................................................................................................................... 30
Strategic Direction: Create and implement an external and internal communications strategy that advocates for and
conveys the value of early education and care to stakeholders, consumers, and the general public and positions EEC as a
national education leader. ................................................................................................................................................... 32
Strategic Direction: Build the internal infrastructure to support achieving the vision. ....................................................... 33
IT System .......................................................................................................................................................................... 33
Head Start State Advisory Council ................................................................................................................................... 33
Assigning Student identifiers (SASIDS) to Pre-K children ................................................................................................. 34
Accountability efforts....................................................................................................................................................... 35
Future Data Collection efforts ......................................................................................................................................... 35
EEC Internal Re-organization ........................................................................................................................................... 35
Community Profiles ............................................................................................................................................................. 38
Summary of Community Profiles ................................................................................................................................. 38
APPENDICES ......................................................................................................................................................................... 41
Appendix A: Report Legislative Language ........................................................................................................................ 41
Appendix B: Definition of quality ..................................................................................................................................... 42
Appendix C: Mental Health Consultation Services Grant ................................................................................................ 47
Appendix D: Demographics of Children Served by EEC Financial Assistance .................................................................. 50
Appendix E: EEC Translated Documents .......................................................................................................................... 57
Appendix F: Professional Development Grantee Allocations .......................................................................................... 60
FY10 CCR&R Allocations ............................................................................................................................................... 60
FY10 Building Career Grant Allocations ....................................................................................................................... 61
FY10 Program and Practioner SUpports (Fund code 395) Final Grant Allocations ...................................................... 62
Appendix G: EEC CERTIFICATIONS ................................................................................................................................... 67
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this report is to comply with § 85 of Chapter 215 of the Acts of 2008, which
mandates the Board of Early Education and Care, in consultation with the advisory council, as
established under G.L. c. 15D, § 3A, to assess and report on the capacity of the existing early
education and care system to, among other things, enhance the quality of early education and
care programs. The report is framed within EEC’s five strategic directions and is submitted by
the Board of Early Education and Care.
STRATEGIC DIRECTION: QUALITY: CREATE AND IMPLEMENT A SYSTEM TO IMPROVE AND
SUPPORT QUALITY STATEWIDE.
The following section review EEC’s efforts to build and implement a system to improve and
support quality across the Commonwealth.
DEFINITION OF QUALITY
The term “quality” is frequently used, but rarely is attention given to confirming that the
meaning is the same. A short memo defining quality, according to the research, has been
produced. A copy of this document is included as Appendix B. The EEC Board reviewed this
definition and it correlates with the Board’s definition of quality. Instructional leadership is
emerging as a particular area of focus for future quality improvement efforts.
QUALITY RATING AND IMPROVEMENT SYSTEM (QRIS)
In Massachusetts, EEC formally began developing a QRIS during the spring of 2008. Seventeen
other states have developed QRIS over the past decade. QRIS are a fast-spreading policy
innovation because they align standards, supports to programs, and accountability efforts into
one non-duplicative system.
There are many benefits to QRIS including:

Parents have easily accessible information about the quality of early care and education
programs.

Programs and providers use one streamlined set of standards that are connected to
supports and fiscal incentives to help them meet and maintain the standards.

Policymakers understand where and how to invest additional resources
QRIS typically have five components:
Standards – The QRIS’ standards build on the various standards already being used in
the state, such as licensing, NAEYC, NAFCC, and Head Start Performance Standards, and
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organize them into one body of standards. The standards are usually categorized into a
series of levels or steps, such as 1 - 5.
Monitoring and Accountability – The measures the state will use to recognize where
programs are in relation to the standards levels.
Program and Practitioner Supports – The infrastructure to help programs meet and
maintain the quality standards. The support infrastructure is built from current/existing
resources (e.g., grants).
Fiscal Incentives – The incentives to encourage programs and providers/educators to
pursue higher levels of quality.
Family and Consumer Engagement – The way that the content of the QRIS is
communicated to parents and programs.
Where is Massachusetts in the Process of QRIS Development?
In February 2008, EEC convened internal and external working groups to make
recommendations about the overarching structure of the QRIS and to design the QRIS
Standards. Workgroup members included stakeholders from across the early care and
education field. After substantial collaboration with stakeholders, EEC requested and received
public input on the proposed QRIS Standards in March and April 2009. The department received
over 350 responses to the public input survey. The QRIS Standards group, the Advisory Council,
and the EEC Board reviewed and responded to the feedback.
This summer, EEC has been working on developing a crosswalk of the standards. The crosswalks
will demonstrate how the standards align from licensing, to QRIS points criteria, to accreditation
standards, to Head Start Performance Standards. By January 2010, levels 1-4 will be available
publicly. Further work will be done on developing a Level 5. In 2011, EEC will work to align
professional development opportunities with these levels. Also in early 2011, EEC will explore
the possibility of expanding the role of EEC licensing staff to include using evidence-based
environmental assessments. Currently EEC is pursuing using evidence-based tools.
SCHOOL READINESS ASSESSMENTS AND PROGRAM EVALUATIONS
Massachusetts is in the early stages of developing a statewide system to measure
developmental progress of its young children. EEC is engaging parents, providers, program
administrators, teachers, higher education institutions, and policy makers to build a responsive
approach. This initiative is separate from (and would not replace) developmental information
that programs gather about children to use for curriculum planning and to individualize
instruction.
Why are statewide data needed?

To inform policy makers about the benefits of and impact of investments in early
childhood education and care in Massachusetts

To better understand school readiness gaps(s) for subgroups of children
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
To inform statewide policy development

Data will not be used for high stakes “testing” of young children or providers
Statewide Measures of School Readiness vs. Child Assessments and Screenings:
Currently, many providers are already using a developmental assessment or screening tool to
inform practice and individualize instruction. Providers are currently using a variety of
assessment measures, including UPK grantees are required to use one of four assessment
systems: Creative Curriculum Developmental Continuum; Ages & Stages; High Scope Child
Observation Record (COR); Work Sampling System. A statewide measurement of school
readiness is not intended to be used to replace program-level assessment practices. A state
system vs. program level-assessments have:
 Different purposes
o Statewide system: information about the success of all children in Massachusetts
o Program-level assessments: information for parents and caregivers about
individual children
 Different level of information about child
o Statewide system: measure a small number of indicators of school readiness
o Program-level assessments: comprehensive look at child progress across all
developmental domains
 Different usefulness to providers
o Statewide system: for broader policy purposes
o Program-level assessments: to help provider support each child’s growth and
development
 Other differences
o Statewide system: children will be anonymous when data are reported
These are the key issues that Massachusetts’ will consider as it creates design options for
statewide measure:
 WHAT to measure about child development
 WHO to measure
 WHEN to measure
 HOW will measures/information on children be collected
 WHAT ELSE to measure about home environments, program characteristics, and
community context
Some of this work has been piloted through EEC’s current approach to Universal PreKindergarten.
EEC currently supports programs in undertaking school readiness assessments and program
evaluations through Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) Classroom Quality grants. In an effort to
promote school readiness and positive outcomes for children, participating grantees are required
to use a developmentally appropriate child assessment system to ensure programs are
effectively measuring children’s progress across all developmental domains and using this
information to inform practice. UPK programs are using one of four EEC-approved child
assessment systems: Creative Curriculum Developmental Continuum, Work Sampling System,
High Scope Child Observation Record (COR), and Ages & Stages. Additionally, UPK
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programs/providers are required to be accredited by the National Association for the Education
of Young Children (NAEYC) or New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) for
group child care programs OR by National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC) or hold a
non-expired Child Development Associate (CDA) credential or higher for family child care
providers (AA, BA, or Master’s degree).1 Accreditation facilitates program evaluation, resulting
in reflection and growth to support high-quality environments for children. Grantees may
choose to spend funds in eleven different budget categories, which include assessment (i.e.
toolkits, trainings, technology, materials) and accreditation supports (i.e. application fees,
consultation, materials, staff time). In FY10, UPK was funded at $8.0 million. There are 293
UPK programs/providers being supported through this grant, representing 481
classrooms/homes and 6,639 UPK children.
How EEC will move forward to a statewide measurement of the developmental progress and
school readiness of all preschool children:
EEC is considering implementing a statewide measurement of the developmental progress and
school readiness of children in all preschool settings. This initiative would be separate from the
child assessment systems programs currently use to capture developmental information for the
purpose of informing and individualizing instruction. The statewide measurement would instead
evaluate a small number of indicators of school readiness to illustrate the success of all children
in Massachusetts and inform state policy.
Given the effect a statewide initiative of this magnitude would have on the early childhood field,
stakeholders (i.e. providers, parents, and community groups) had the opportunity to voice
concerns, feedback, and support at a series of community meetings.
A summary of qualitative data captured from stakeholders relating to EEC’s plan for a statewide
measurement and the capacity of the field to participate is below.

There is a need for clear communication from EEC to stakeholders about 1) the purpose
of a statewide measurement system, 2) how the undertaking would be administered,
and 3) how it is different from the assessments providers currently use in their
programs.

Buy in from stakeholders is important and necessary for the statewide measurement to
be successful and should be aided through a strong public relations campaign.

It must be decided exactly what will be measured, the “whole child” or a selection of
developmental domains, and determined how contextual factors (for example, where
children start out) and children’s trajectories will be taken into consideration.

The potential burden on providers if they are asked to collect state data should be
estimated and addressed, along with if/how they will be supported through trainings,
professional development, and compensation.
1
Programs originally funded in FY07 because they met the FY07 requirement of a teacher/provider with a bachelor’s
degree (BA/BS) in each UPK classroom/family child care home instead of national accreditation are not currently
required to be accredited. This accounts for 10 programs.
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
The degree to which parents will be involved and how they as a unique group will be
communicated with about the purpose and results of the measurement must be
determined.

When the statewide measure is designed, careful consideration must be given to the
method, longitudinal versus a cohort of children, and what the impact on the field and
extent of findings would be for each.
The next phase of EEC’s planning process for a statewide evaluation of preschool children’s
school readiness will help better determine the capacity of the system to support programs in
school readiness assessments and program evaluation.
Another component of this work is coordinating with the K-12 system, and understanding what
districts are already doing for Kindergarten Readiness Assessments. In 2007, Full-Day
Kindergarten grantees responded that they use the following developmental screenings at entry
to Kindergarten.
Developmental Screening: Which of the following does the district use for screening children entering
kindergarten? (n=128)
Early Screening Inventory (ESI)
60% (77)
Other tool (*see below)
26% (33)
DIAL-3
15% (19)
BRIGANCE
12% (15)
Districts own Screening Tool
8% (10)
PPVT
6% (8)
DIAL-R
6% (7)
Ages and Stages Questionnaire
5 % (6)
DIBELS
4% (5)
PALS
4% (5)
DENVER II
1% (1)
* Other Screening Tools mentioned include: PHELPS, DALLAS, Batelle Screen, Daberon, Early
Prevention of School Failure, Joilet Screen, McCarthy Screen, Hainsworth Screen, SIB-R, and
Fluherty Screen
Source: Full-Day Kindergarten Survey. 2007. Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
While, screening and assessment serve different purposes, EEC supports programs
implementing screening practices, and is currently focused on implementing assessment
statewide.
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COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES
Comprehensive Services – services and supports that help providers and families meet the
developmental needs of the whole child – are embedded throughout EEC’s system.
Comprehensive services may include, but are not limited to: physical health, mental health,
nutritional, and social services components; and adult and family education. Early education and
care and out-of-school time programs’ ability to directly provide or build linkages to these kinds
of services are considered as an essential element of quality programming.
EEC’s Coordinated Family and Community Engagement (CFCE) grant aims to build on a local
infrastructure of supports and services across the Commonwealth to ensure that all families with
young children, especially those with the greatest educational need and experiencing multiple
risk factors, have access to the resources they need to support optimal development of their
children. CFCE Community Based Councils, with broad community representation, are expected
to be able to identify resources and supports available in the community to support promotion of
children’s health, social and emotional well being, family self-sufficiency and economic stability,
education, and assistance with meeting basic needs. Grant activities include the coordination of
a locally available set of resources to provide comprehensive services at early education and
care programs including but not limited to physical and dental health, early childhood mental
health consultation, support health care, occupational or speech therapy, etc. [The full range of
the CFCE grant is discussed in further detail under the next Board Strategic Direction.]
EEC also administers Supportive Child Care services for children who have open cases with
the Department of Children and Families (DCF). The services are designed to meet the needs of
families that are experiencing a high degree of stress and disorganization. DCF refers children
living at home or in foster care – who have been the subject of a supported 51A – for
Supportive Child Care to support their growth and development and to protect their health and
well-being. Supportive Child Care programs contracted by EEC provide an array of
comprehensive educational and care services, augmented by health and nutritional services,
case management, social services, and transportation between child care and home or school.
EEC provides an additional $15.65 per child to support the cost of these additional services. EEC
in partnership with the Department of Children and Families (DCF) is working on expanding and
continuously refining this program.
MENTAL HEALTH CONSULTATION SERVICES
EEC’s mental health initiatives are aimed at providing mental health promotion, prevention, and
intervention services as soon as possible for children and their families. Mental Health
Consultation Services provided by a clinician or behavioral specialist support positive
interactions in children’s care settings and address social-emotional needs so that children can
be successful in their care setting and ready to learn. In FY 2010 EEC continues to fund two
types of mental health consultation programs:
Mental Health Consultation Services Grants

Initiated in FY07

FY 09 Grant Total- $2,030,000
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
FY 10 Grant Total- $900,000

10 Grantees serving child care programs in more than 70 cities and towns
Mental Health Consultation Services grantees serve as an “on-call” resource to child care
programs, responding to referrals of children exhibiting behavioral challenges and providing onsite consultation by a mental health consultant to coach and mentor program staff.
Through this grant, EEC aims to accomplish the following objectives:

Reduce the number of suspensions and expulsions of children from EEC funded programs

Enhance staff competencies to work with behaviorally challenged children, thereby
benefitting all children enrolled in the program

Strengthen parenting skills and parent involvement, and

Promote collaboration for better access to services for children and families.
In past years, grantees have provided more than 26,000 hours of consultation services to nearly
1000 classrooms or family child care homes. Approximately 1,500 referred children received
individualized services, and were retained in their program. With a steep reduction in funding
this fiscal year, EEC anticipates that programs will be able to serve a smaller number of
providers and children – although EEC has encouraged grantees to pursue strategies to leverage
resources through collaborations and third party billing.
Comprehensive Mental Health in Child Care (CMHCC) programs

Initiated in 2001

FY 10 contract total - $620,000

14 contractors are located in: North Adams, Holyoke, Springfield, Worcester, Fitchburg,
Lawrence, Lynn, Gloucester, New Bedford, Weymouth, and Boston
In collaboration with MassHealth/Mass. Behavioral Health Partnership, EEC has worked to
connect early education and care providers with mental health clinics to locate clinicians on-site
at 15 child care programs that have Supportive Child Care contracts with EEC. These
“embedded” mental health clinicians provide support and training to staff at the child care
program and link families with needed clinical services through the partnering clinic. Goals
include:

Reducing expulsions or suspensions of children due to behavioral issues

Preventing repeat psychiatric hospitalizations of children

Improving the quality of child, parent, and family relationships, and

Reducing the risk factors that impact children’s emotional development and their
acquisition of knowledge and skills necessary for success in school
Annually, approximately 600 children receive individual therapeutic services through the CMHCC
program, allowing them to remain in care. EEC funds approximately 2/3 of the clinician’s salary
to support non-billable services like home visits, classroom observations, service coordination
and collateral contacts, training and travel costs. The remaining 1/3 is funded by billing
insurances for the clinical services that are provided.
See Appendix C for a list of grantees and communities served
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DECREASING EXPULSION RATES
Research shows, and EEC mental health grantee’s reports confirm, that mental health
consultation services significantly reduce terminations due to challenging behavior. EEC’s
endeavors to provide strong social-emotional supports for all children are not limited to mental
health consultation. Quality enhancement and workforce development efforts clearly improve
overall classroom practice as well as support teachers’ ability to manage challenging behavior.
Finally, EEC’s strengthened licensing regulations ensure that programs implement a procedure
to prevent suspension and expulsion, including meeting with the parents, developing a
behavioral intervention plan, providing referral options, and pursuing options for supportive
services to the program.
Expulsion rates from preschool came to national attention in 2005 when Walter Gilliam published
his seminal study on this topic. [Gilliam, W. S. (2005). Prekindergarteners left behind: Expulsion
rates in state prekindergarten systems. New Haven, CT: Yale University Child Study Center.] At
the time Massachusetts was found to have the 9th highest rate of states studied. Debate since
then has focused on the methodology used in the report and the populations he focused on.
Either way, it has highlighted the need for greater attention to the comprehensive services
provided to children in early care and education programs. Because of limits of data collection,
EEC does not have data on expulsion rates for all early care and education programs.
Discussions, however, are underway for Dr. Gilliam to return to Massachusetts for a follow-up
study.
BIRTH TO SCHOOL-AGE TASKFORCE
This year a Birth to School-Age Taskforce was convened. Its purpose is to put forth
recommendations to the Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) and the Executive Office
of Education (EOE) to strengthen supports and services to effectively meet the needs of children
birth to school-age, their families, and other significant caregivers to ensure continuously
improving development and learning outcomes for children in the earliest years. The goal of the
Task Force is to develop a plan to ensure the healthy development of all children pre-birth to
age three in Massachusetts with a focus on ensuring good health, strong families/communities,
positive learning experiences, and systems.
The Taskforce is organized into the following subcommittees:





Good Health Subcommittee
Positive Learning Experiences Subcommittee
Strong Families/Communities Subcommittee
Strong Systems Subcommittee
Diversity Subcommittee
To date, the Birth to School Age Task Force has produced a preliminary set of desired
outcomes/indicators/strategies for infants and toddlers, their families, systems and
communities, which will be developed further during the ongoing work of the Task Force
Subcommittees. The Task Force subcommittees are continuing their work in researching
strategies (and their efficacy and evidence-based nature) that align with each strategy.
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Summary of Outcomes Developed by the Taskforce - Child
Basic Needs


Infants and toddlers are safe in their home, care, and community setting.
Infants and toddlers are receiving adequate nutrition
Health and Well-Being



Infants and toddlers are physically and mentally healthy.
Infants and toddlers have quality primary care.
Infants and toddlers have access to quality health and dental care coverage.
Development and Learning




Infants and toddlers are on track for their optimal development.
Infants and Toddlers are entering school “ready to learn” and are performing well by
the third grade.
Infant and Toddlers have access to high-quality, affordable early education and care
Infants and toddlers have high-quality learning experiences with their families/
primary caregivers.
Relationships


Infants
in their
Infants
in their
and toddlers have consistent, stable, responsive, and nurturing relationships
out of home care settings that are culturally responsive.
and toddlers have consistent, stable, responsive, and nurturing relationships
family settings.
Summary of Outcomes Developed by the Taskforce - Parents/Families
Basic Needs





Parents/Families have adequate, stable and affordable housing options.
Infants and toddler have adequate and stable housing.
Parents/Families of Infants and Toddlers are economically secure.
All parents/families of infants and toddlers have stable work that generates a livable
wage to provide for their infants and toddlers.
All parents/caregivers of infants and toddlers receive sufficient paid leave to care for
sick children. All parents/caregivers receive adequate paid family leave to care for
newborn or adopted infants and toddlers.
Health and Well-Being



Families have access to & are informed consumers of health care & receive
consistent, coordinated health, dental & mental health services.
Pregnant women, receive comprehensive pre and postnatal health care and support.
Pregnant women are physically and mentally healthy during and after pregnancy.
Development and Learning

Parents/Families are competent in their role as their infant and toddler’s first teacher.
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

Parents/families of infants and toddlers have the knowledge and resources to support
the optimal development of their infants and toddlers.
Parents/families have meaningful choices in services for infants and toddlers and are
supported in accessing services and supports.
Relationships

All families of infants and toddlers have informal and formal support networks
Summary of Outcomes Developed by the Taskforce – Community/Program
Basic Needs

Infant/toddler caregivers/ educators receive respect, support, and adequate
compensation for their work.
Relationships




Parents/families of infants and toddlers are actively involved in leadership, advocacy
and governance.
Programs work to foster consistent, stable, responsive, and nurturing relationships in
the families they serve and in their care-giving settings.
Infant and toddler caregivers/ educators see and treat parents as the children’s
primary teachers and partner with them in their children’s care and learning
Families of infants/ toddlers at risk for out of home placement have: 1) access to
strength-based family support services that work together to prevent disruption,
provide permanency if needed, 2) access to pre & post-permanency supports & 3)
access to a coordinated system for visits b/w children, placement, & families as often
as possible.
Development and Learning



Programs ensure that Infant/Toddler educators are competent, knowledgeable, and
confident in supporting the optimal development of children in their care and have a
commitment to ongoing high quality professional development opportunities.
All communities have the capacity to strengthen families and support the healthy
growth and development of its infant/ toddlers
All communities have a coordinated network of high-quality, accessible services and
resources
The Task Force is also working to map current state supporting systems and services for infants
and toddlers and their families in Massachusetts and examining how those state funded supports
play out in local communities. During September and October EEC will hold several community
meetings across the state in coordination with the United Way to engage community partners in
this important work and provide an opportunity for feedback on the outcomes, indicators,
strategies and key next steps developed by the Task Force.
A final meeting for this first Phase is set for November 6th and a report is planned for submission
in January. This report will conclude Phase I of the taskforce with recommendations and a
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report specific to pre-birth to 3. Phase II will begin after Phase I concludes to examine linkages
through five.
AFTER-SCHOOL AND OUT OF SCHOOL TIME
EEC is currently engaged in several initiatives focused on the After-School and Out of School
Time Field, which span curriculum enrichment, program improvement, and increasing access to
programming.
SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICS (STEM)
EEC and the Department of Higher Education (DHE) have launched a new initiative to expand
science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) educational offerings in afterschool
and out-of-school time programs. This pilot project has provided 30 staff from eight EEClicensed afterschool programs in Greater Boston/Northeast and Western Massachusetts, with
professional development on STEM curricula from the Museum of Science (“Engineering is
Elementary”) or WGBH (“Design Squad”). As of July, all eight participating after school and outof-school time programs have completed training on and are in the process of implementing it
with their students. EEC surveyed the educators prior to and after completing the training and
is currently analyzing the aggregate data. EEC is also in the process of developing student
evaluation tools and a system for tracking curriculum use by the participating programs.
Commissioner Killins will present the pilot results at the annual Massachusetts STEM summit in
October. The Department of Higher Education’s STEM Pipeline Fund financed this FY09 pilot.
The FY10 budget directs the immediate transfer of all Pipeline Fund dollars to the General Fund.
QUALITY RATING AND IMPROVEMENT SYSTEM – AS/OST STANDARDS
As EEC has developed a Quality Rating and Improvement System, it has included ASOST
programs from the start. There has been considerable work dedicated to determining the
standards for the ASOST field. Currently there is debate about including the Council on
Accreditation (COA) as one of the top levels of the QRIS standards, and even if it is included
what alternative pathways might programs use to reach this level. Currently there are fewer
than 15 COA accredited programs in the state. The cost of the COA accreditation process has
recently increased making it increasingly difficult for programs to pursue this recognition.
Massachusetts has a similar number of accredited programs to other states.
YOUTH WORKER CERTIFICATIONS
EEC currently does not certify school-age staff. Within the state, there are at least two groups
working on piloting credentials for school-age youth workers. One is the P-21 Professional Youth
Worker Credential (PYWC) and the second is School-Age & Youth Development (SAYD)
credential.
The P-21 Professional Youth Worker Credential (PYWC) is part of the Massachusetts statewide
Pathways to Success by Twenty-One (P-21) Initiative. P-21 is a statewide effort led by the
Commonwealth Corporation to improve educational and employment outcomes of
Massachusetts’ most at-risk youth.
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The P21 Professional Youth Worker Credential is a competency-based curriculum for youth
workers who do not have a higher education credential or certificate in a related field of study.
The model is based on the School Age Youth Development (SAYD) credential piloted by Achieve
Boston and addresses the 8 of the 11 competency areas developed by Achieve.
The PYWC was first piloted in Hampden County, with 24 students (as of March 3, 2009 20
students had completed the pilot) from 12 agencies. The coursework and training was held at
Holyoke Community College (college credits were through Cambridge College and will also be
honored by UMB and Urban College). A part-time Student Support Coordinator provided
assistance to participants and instructors. The PYWC was offered at no cost to participants.
The Commonwealth Corporation oversees the PYWC, and the Medical Foundation coordinated
the instruction and documentation of competencies. A local partners forum consisting of the
Hampden County Regional Employment Board, DYS, FutureWorks One Stop Career Center, ESE
and several WIA Youth providers provided input on the implementation of the pilot.
Participants who completed the required training and coursework, documented competency
understanding and application, and completed a demonstration project at their worksite were
awarded a P-21 PYWC certificate from the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce
Development and Commonwealth Corporation, and a $1,000 stipend from the Hampden
County Regional Employment Board.
The School-Age & Youth Development (SAYD) credential was a pilot professional development
program for staff working with children and youth in out-of-school time and youth development
programs. It targeted promoting leadership development and reducing staff turnover. The
credential consisted of three college courses (9 credits total) and forty-five hours of communitybased training over an 18 month period from January 2007 until June 2008. Participants met
with their supervisors during this time to incorporate learning from the classes into their work.
Participants were evaluated on their work through a portfolio review and panel interview at the
end of the credential period. There was no cost to participants and staff who completed the
pilot received a stipend and in some cases a salary increase.
ARRA SUMMER LEARNING VOUCHERS
To increase capacity for school-age youth and to address the summer learning gap, the EEC
Board dedicated up to $2.5M towards vouchers for youth to attend summer learning programs.
More than 800 youth participated in this opportunity and attended more than 250 programs.
EEC will be reporting on this project for the 1512 ARRA reporting requirements. This summer
EEC also visited several of these programs for monitoring and quality control. Following is
information about these site visits:
Determining Visits:
EEC planned to visit 20% of programs that received ARRA Summer Learning promotion funding
during the month of August. Sites were visited based on the following criteria:



Providers with 5 or more children would receive a visit
Any program whose lead agency includes a Head Start program would receive a visit
Programs with 4 or less children would be randomly sampled
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TOTAL
VISITS IN
REGION
COMMISSIONER
DISTRICT
Program
Type:
FCC
Program
Type:
Center
Based
Program
Type:
Camp
HS
RANDOM
5+
CHILDREN
ENROLLED
Boston Region
1
6
4
11
11
0
7
4
Southeast Region
3
1
1
5
4
0
4
1
Northeast Region
6
11*
8**
25
22
11
13
1
Greater Boston &
Central Region
1
3
3
7
6
1
2
4
Western Region
TOTALS
0
11
1
22
6
22
7
55
7
50
1
13
3
29
3
13
5+ CHILDREN
*Head Start visit is also random visit. Visit counted as HS on chart
** Head Start visit is also 5+ visit. Visit counted as HS on chart
Commissioner Districts: Boston; Brockton; Fall River, Holyoke, Lawrence; Lowell, Lynn, New
Bedford, Springfield, Worcester
Preparing for the Visits:
Training was provided on August 5th in the Boston EEC Central Office on use of SACERS and
FCCERS-R Environment Rating Scale Tools. The visit list was shared with EEC Regional Directors
to assure that programs to be visited did not have outstanding licensing issues and that
program visits would not overlap with licensing visits. A phone call was made to the program
prior to the visit to announce and explain the visit.
Visits:
Eleven EEC program staff made 48 visits between August 11 and September 4, to the ARRA
Summer Learning Promotion Sites:



9 family child care homes;
13 camps; and,
26 licensed center based programs throughout the state.
Visit Outcomes
Data from checklist and environment rating scale tool(s) is being compiled into an excel
spreadsheet. All CCR&Rs, who administered these vouchers, will also receive an audit
compliance visit from EEC auditors within the year.
FACILITIES INVENTORY
Facilities are an important element of quality. In 2008 EEC provided a $10,000 grant to the
Children’s Investment Fund, which contributed to the significant amount of funding they raised
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from private sources and their own resources, to pay for a Facilities Inventory. The following
update was provided by Mav Pardee, Program Manager at the Children’s Investment Fund.
Rationale for the Study
Investing in high quality early education has proven to be effective in addressing the educational
disparities faced by children at risk. But quality is the crucial component, and one factor too
often ignored is the condition of the facility housing an early childhood or out-of-school time
program. It is essential that in planning to improve education at all levels, policymakers
consider the impact of facilities on children and staff. There is growing evidence that a welldesigned, well-equipped environment supports learning, while a poorly adapted and
overcrowded environment undermines it.
Project goals, activities and target population:
The Facilities Inventory Project will be the first study of its kind in Massachusetts or the U.S. It
will document the condition of ECE and OST facilities in Massachusetts and the cost of
improvements, provide data to drive decisions for a campaign for public facilities financing in
MA, and may help position MA for new federal initiatives related to education. It will also guide
the Children’s Investment Fund’s training, technical assistance, and financing for our target
population -- providers serving the most vulnerable children in the Commonwealth.
The Fund has selected two research firms, the Wellesley Centers for Women and On-Site
Insight, to work together to conduct the study. The research team will develop facility
standards and the survey methodology, and review 130-150 non-profit child care sites. The
final report will be completed in 2010 and will document the condition of the facilities, provide
estimates for improvements, and make recommendations. The focus of the assessment will be
non-profit programs serving low income children ages 0-14. It will include an assessment of the
building envelope and systems, classrooms/activity spaces, administrative and support areas,
and outdoor space.
Standards and measurement tools
We will use national accreditation standards, and the EEC draft Quality Rating Improvement
Scale (QRIS) as starting points, even though they pay limited attention to facility quality and
functionality. Some other resources to be used are: the MA Department of Early Education and
Care Early Childhood Standards, the U.S. Department of Defense Unified Facilities Criteria for
Child Development Centers and Youth Programs, and the MA School Building Authority
Educational Program Space Standards and Guidelines. For outdoor space, we will use the
National Program for Playground Safety Standards. We will develop a set of suitable standards
for each age group and standards for the entire facility. The final standards will have three
levels:
Level 1:
Meets Massachusetts’ state regulations: licensing standards and state building
code related to buildings that house programs for infant-toddler, preschool and
school age programs
Level 2:
Meets professional association standards: QRIS, ECE and OST accreditation
standards, AAP and APHA
Level 3:
Meets a broader range of facilities requirements for high quality programs
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The research team will review existing tools and then draft a detailed measurement tool for this
project.
The project will be managed by the Fund’s Program Manager, Mav Pardee, who has 30+ years
experience in program development, consultation, and evaluation for infant through school age
providers. We have a 24- member Advisory Committee of public officials, ECE and OST leaders,
funders, and others knowledgeable about the field to provide guidance for the project.
COLLABORATION AND COORDINATION OF RESOURCES
The Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) collaborates with its sister agencies within
the Secretariat as well as many other state and human service agencies. Some of our
participation on boards, task forces, committees, and interagency ventures is legislatively
mandated, and other relationships have developed because of shared visions. EEC staff serves
in multiple capacities across these groups. Most groups meet monthly, some less frequently. The
agencies and entities we partner with are:
- EOHHS Nutrition Board
- United Way Action Planning Team
- Child Abuse Prevention Board
(APT)
- Children’s Behavioral Health Advisory
- United Way Increasing Youth
- Board of Accreditation of Homemaker
Opportunities Impact Council
Services
- DTA/EEC Streamlining Working
- Task Force on Behavioral Health and
Group
the Public Schools
- Young Children’s Interagency Work
- DYS Advisory Committee
Group: Behavioral Health Initiative
- OCA Child Advocate Advisory Board
- Connected Beginnings Advisory
- Governor’s Advisory Council for
Board
Refugees and Immigrants
- Head Start Nutrition Board
- Interagency Child Welfare Task Force
- Head Start State Advisory Board
- Advisory Council for Comprehensive
- New Americans Agenda for MA –
Interdisciplinary Health Education
Office of Refugees and Immigrants
and Human Service Programs
- Smart for the Start Advisory
- Early Childhood Intervention Advisory
Committee
Committee
- Shaken Baby Advisory Committee
- WIC Advisory Board
- Department of Elementary and
- CARD
Secondary Education (ESE)
- Bessie Tartt Wilson Voucher Study
Comprehensive System of Personnel
- Parent Information Resource Center
Development (CPSD) Advisory Group
(PIRC) Advisory Committee
- Department of Elementary and
- MA Early Childhood Oral Health
Secondary Education (ESE)
Consortium
Interdisciplinary Health Education
- Interagency Council on Housing and
and Human Services Advisory Council
Homelessness
- MA Afterschool Partnership (MAP)
- McKinney Vento Homelessness
Advisory Team
Steering Committee
- Interagency Coordinating Council
- United Way Healthy Child
(ICC)(DPH)
Development Impact Council
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-
MA Special Education Advisory
Council (SAC)
MA Infant-Early Childhood Mental
Health Group
Thrive in Five
-
DCF Strategic Planning Group
EEC fosters collaboration, intentionally seeks out, and appreciates the involvement of both state
and community based agencies to advise us in our work, participate in strategic and program
planning/development, coordinating resources, and policy and regulation revisions and review.
Below is sample list of EEC committees involving outside agencies, providers and family
members:
- EEC Parent Advisory
- Birth to School Age Task Force
- EEC Family Child Care Standards
- EEC Advisory Council, including its
Committee
work groups for Professional
Development, Universal PreK and
Operations and QRIS
EEC also works directly with public schools to provide training and technical assistance (T&TA)
based on needs determined by the state’s data (i.e., transition from Early Intervention to public
school special education) or at the request of the individual district. In addition, EEC has a
formal relationship with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (ESE) to
administer all aspects of the Early Childhood Special Education allocation grants (IDEA), ARRA
preschool funds, State Performance Plan/Annual Performance Report (SPP/APR) and Indicators
6, 7 and 12, and participate with Program Quality Assurance (PQA) visits. EEC also conducts
visits to early childhood special education classrooms across the Commonwealth as part of its
Quality Monitoring.
EEC has written and been awarded three grants, each requiring the participation of other
agencies. These grants, and their respective work groups, include:
-
SpecialQuest State Leadership Team Steering Committee
Center for Social Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL)
National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE): Personnel Center
STRATEGIC DIRECTION: INCREASE AND PROMOTE FAMILY SUPPORT, ACCESS AND
AFFORDABILITY.
This section summarizes EEC’s efforts to strengthen families and assist families with accessing
need services, including early care and education.
FAMILY ACCESS AND AFFORDABILITY
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EEC provides financial assistance to families across the Commonwealth to access child care
services. The following table describes the number of children EEC serves by age, region and
type of financial assistance.
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NUMBER OF CHILDREN WAITING FOR STATE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
Children By Age
Boston
Central
Metro
Northeast
Southeast
Western
Statewide
1,855
748
1,259
2,011
1,279
1,047
8,199
Pre-School
934
483
1,115
1,482
962
621
5,597
School Age
1,173
654
1,123
1,611
1,006
812
6,379
Total
3,962
1,885
3,497
5,104
3,247
2,480
20,175
Infant-Toddler
For additional information about the children EEC serves, see Appendix D
In addition, many very young children spend time in what is referred to as “family, friend, and
neighbor care (FFN).” This is care which is not subject to EEC’s licensing regulations and is
provided by those close to the family. EEC distributes a very small number of vouchers to
children in this arrangement (called In-Home Vouchers), but generally because of the limitations
of data collection EEC has minimal understanding about these arrangements. Many of EEC’s
family outreach efforts though are also inclusive of family, friend, and neighbor caregivers.
EEC PROVIDES MULTIPLE POINTS OF ENTRY AND OUTREACH FOR FAMILIES INCLUDING THOSE
IN HARD TO REACH POPULATIONS
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FY10 marks the launch of the voluntary Coordinated Family and Community Engagement
(CFCE) grant opportunity which consolidates formerly discrete EEC funded community based
family support and local planning and coordination grants, including Parent Child Home Program
(PCHP), Massachusetts Family Network (MFN), and Community Partnerships for Children (CPC)
under one lead agency. The funding amount available to support this community approach is
$15,000,000.
This consolidated approach to community funding is designed to strengthen the relationships
between families, the programs designed to serve them, and communities. EEC is building on a
local infrastructure of supports and services across the Commonwealth to ensure that all families
with young children, especially those with the greatest educational need and experiencing
multiple risk factors, have access to the resources they need to support optimal development of
their children.
EEC received 120 responses representing 137 CPC Programs, 34 MFN Programs, 22 PCHP
Programs, and 11 JFSP Programs. Of the 120 responses, 45 represent consolidations of more
than one program type. Three are from CPCs collaborating with another CPC, and 71 were from
CPCs that did not apply in collaboration with other programs.
The landscape of our family and community engagement programming has changed. In
FY09, EEC managed the following individual grants:

141 Community Partnerships for Children

42 Massachusetts Family Network

25 Parent Child Home Programs

11 Joint FamilySupport grantees
As a result of our FY10 Coordinated Family and Community Engagement consolidation grant
opportunity, grant applications reflected the following:

45 consolidations: involving partnerships between 46 CPCs, 34 MFNs, 22 PCHPs, and
11 JFSPs

3 consolidations between CPCs only

71 non-consolidated CPCs

8 non-consolidated Massachusetts Family Network

3 non-consolidated Parent Child Home Programs

0 non-consolidated Joint FamilySupport grantees
Coordinated family and community engagement grantees are required to have community based
councils that include parent representatives as well as representatives from community and
regionally based agencies, such as: WIC, libraries, public schools, Early Intervention, Head
Start, adult education, health care providers, faith based organizations, DCF area offices, higher
education, Child Care Resource and Referral agencies, etc. With broad representation on these
councils, community strengths and needs are identified by a variety of sources and budget
allocations and approval is determined by the council. An understanding of the resources and
supports available in the community on the part of the council membership provides another
entry point for families in obtaining referrals or direct services that meet their needs.
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Our family and community engagement grant includes these desired outcomes:

Outreach to all families with newborns or newly adopted infants is conducted by a local,
knowledgeable resource person, offering information about community resources and
access to information about healthy child development.

Specific strategies and outreach mechanisms are in place to engage hard to reach
families including but not limited to those for who English is a second language, families
experiencing homelessness, families living in isolation and families experiencing multiple
risk factors.
The Parent Child Home Program (PCHP) and outreach to families with newborns are examples of
two initiatives that provide the opportunity for EEC to reach families who may not be engaged in
the world of early education and care and might prefer to receive early literacy support and/or
family engagement and support in alternative means. PCHP provides a foundation for early
literacy, focusing on the parent as a child’s first teacher. Both PCHP and outreach to families
with newborns can provide the linkage for hard to reach or isolated families to the broader world
of early education and care.
All of the grantees offer activities, like playgroups, in languages and locations appropriate for
the families in the communities they serve, e.g. for Spanish, Japanese, German speakers
(Assabet Valley); Spanish (Boston), and Spanish, Portuguese, Creole (Somerville). Playgroups
that are linguistically and culturally sensitive to the needs of families provide an excellent
vehicle to engage families, to reduce isolation and to provide education and support.
Other entry points for families:

Child Care Resource and Referral agencies (CCR&Rs) - a network of child care resource
and referral agencies across the state with offices located in the following communities- New
Bedford, Hyannis, Brockton, Springfield, Quincy, Worcester, Boston, Cambridge, Greenfield,
Pittsfield, Concord, Beverly, Fitchburg and Lawrence. The model for Comprehensive Child
Care Services requires CCR&Rs to:
 Provide up to date, user friendly information on available child care resources,
 Determine eligibility for financial assistance,
 Establish local linkages and identify opportunities for shared planning and
collaborations,
 Provide customized services for families of children with disabilities, and

Respond to parental requests for technical assistance related to using child care,
child development, or accessing community resources.
o Support Services include:
 supporting parents in their dual role as workers and parents,
 offering parents comprehensive consumer education which includes consultation
about child care and referrals to programs,
 community collaborations and planning by building connections within the
community and generating resources for families,
 compiling, analyzing, and sharing information with parents, providers, and
communities to work toward ongoing improvement of the child care system,
 public advocacy/policy: improving public policy for children and families, and
 each CCR&R offers a variety of educational workshops for parents
o While there is not consistent accessibility to information in their preferred language of the
families they serve, some of the CCR&Rs provide some translated materials, but more
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often have bilingual staff to meet the needs of the families they serve. One CCR&R wrote
in a survey about the capacity of CCR&Rs to offer translated materials and services:
Our experience is that having bilingual staff is the main reason for an
increase in the number of contacts from the Spanish community,
mainly providers. There is a community recognition that our agency is
trying to be responsive to their needs. For less frequently requested
languages, a phone translation service might be adequate.

Child care centers and family child care providers – Parents already find their local
child care center and family child care provider directly through community resources. EEC is
working to incorporate additional training and supports for professionals in the field on topics
about engaging and supporting families. As this happens, educators/providers will become
more skilled at working with parents as partners and connecting them to the supports they
need.

EEC Regional office capacity: Educational specialists will now exist in EEC Regional offices.
Their role will include providing technical assistance and support to programs and families.
For example, their role could include supporting the capacity of programs to reach families
who are considered “hard to reach” as well as supporting parents who need assistance in
navigating the early education and care services and supports available in their community.
(Additional information about this new role at EEC is described later under EEC Internal Reorganization.)

Statewide: EEC has availed itself of a Google internet service that allows parents and
providers to access information on our website in multiple languages. EEC’s website now also
has a child care search engine, which allows families to locate options near them
geographically. Also, our Learn and Grow Together Guide for families has been translated
into Spanish and Portuguese. This guide includes child development information, age
appropriate activity ideas that promote early literacy and healthy social emotional
development, behavior management tips and space for families to record their questions and
concerns in preparation for their well doctor visits. Families also have an opportunity to
include milestones in their children’s lives. In addition to a limited number of hard copies,
Learn and Grow Together is available electronically on our website. Hard copies were
distributed to EEC regional offices, Child Care Resource and Referral agencies and family
support and engagement programs at the community level. It is our expectation that
families that engage with EEC at those access points will receive a copy of the resource
guide.
LOCAL AND REGIONAL COORDINATION
The CFCE grant, as described above, provides the foundation for community wide coordination
of efforts on behalf of children, families and programs to promote school readiness through
family support and education focused programs and services.
Through the FY2010 Coordinated Family and Community Engagement Grant renewal grant, EEC
is developing innovative approaches to comprehensive planning, coordination and delivery of
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local family access and community engagement services through the Community Partnerships
for Children Programs (CPC), Massachusetts Family Network Programs (MFN), Parent Child
Home Programs (PCHP) and Joint Family Support Programs (JFSP). The goal of consolidation is
for local communities to develop coordinated and collaborative community wide plans to
enhance family access, education, and support across and within early education and care
program models, to realize efficiencies, and promote greater outcomes through shared
resources and efforts in addition to those provided by the state. This effort also expanded the
age-range with which these councils work.
In addition to the desired outcomes involving outreach to families, EEC expects:

Information on early education and care options, parenting education, and community
resources is readily available and accurate; and is available at locations in the community
that families frequent and in languages spoken by families in the community.

Children experience literacy, language and print rich environments at home, in their early
education and care programs and at school and families will be involved in literacy rich
activities.

In partnership with special education programs, enhanced transition supports are
provided for children in Early Intervention, and those who are eligible, are smoothly
transitioned into special education programs and other community resources and
programs.

In partnership with special education programs, families with preschool children receiving
special education services are provided with options about where to receive special
education and related services in settings with typically developing peers.

Every community supports and maintains at least one free, child safe, accessible public
space (e.g., library, community center) where families can take their children to play,
find resources on parenting, support literacy, and network with other families.

Families and educators have access to comprehensive services to support their children’s
healthy development at home, at their early education and care program and in the
community.

Families have meaningful leadership opportunities in their communities, schools and
programs. Training is available to assist in becoming effective advocates for their
children.

Data, collected locally and aggregated state-wide, is used to measure the need for and
effectiveness of local early education and care strategies and programming.

Prior to making a transition to a new program, all children and families are contacted by
their child’s school and are invited to visit the classroom/program.
EEC is developing a quarterly reporting tool to measure outcomes on the community level. In
addition, EEC will be requiring grantees to complete the Strengthening Families self-assessment
tool developed by the Center for the Study of Social Policy that will be the foundation for future
planning and evaluation. Information gathered from the community based council members and
the self-assessment tool will support future recommendations for program design and
professional development for early education and care program staff.
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In FY10, the roles of CCR&Rs and EEC’s regional offices in achieving the most effective regional
and local coordination to enhance the quality of services delivered through the early education
and care system will include:

Rebidding of the CCR&R contracts with clear requirements that connect CCR&Rs to the
statewide system that EEC is building to meet the needs of families and early education
and care and out of school time professionals in order to promote optimal development
for children.

Reorganizing EEC staff in regional offices to enhance EEC’s capacity for family and
community engagement and program monitoring on a regional level. Responsibilities in
this new role will include:
o promoting and engaging communities in awareness activities which support
children as lifelong learners;
o providing technical assistance and resources to communities;
o ensuring inclusion of all children in early education and care programs within and
external to public schools , and
o acting as a liaison for parents, child care and family support programs, public
schools, and regional staff of other state agencies to the Department of Early
Education and Care.
RE-PROCUREMENT OF CHILD CARE RESOURCE AND REFERRAL CONTRACTS
In order to comply with recent audit findings, in FY10, EEC will be re-procuring the contract for
Comprehensive Child Care Services, which includes voucher management, professional
development and resource and referral services. In the upcoming re-procurement, professional
development funding, which was separated from the current contract in 2005, will be re-bid
separately.
Child care subsidies play a key role in EEC’s mission of providing the foundation to support all
children in their development as lifelong learners and contributing members of the community,
and supporting families in their essential work as parents and caregivers. To be successful in
supporting EEC’s strategic direction of increasing and promoting family support and access and
affordability, the re-procurement of resource and referral services and vouchers will be guided
by a strengths-based approach that recognizes families as their child’s first teacher and
acknowledges them as experts on their own child.
There are three general types of state CCR&R Networks: Coordinating, Managing, and
Voluntary. Coordinating and Managing Networks are funded and have staff. They receive
mainly public funds, such as Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) dollars
distributed by State Child Care Administrators. Coordinating and Managing Networks also
leverage funds from corporations, foundations, membership dues, fee-for-service contracts, and
state grants. Voluntary Networks have no budget or rely on small membership fees and
infrequent grants for projects. Massachusetts has a voluntary network. EEC will be exploring
the best type of network for our state.
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TRANSLATION
Over the last two years EEC has begun a concerted effort to translate important documents into
the languages spoken by the children and families we serve. Appendix D contains a chart of
documents translated to date. EEC has also engaged a Google translation service of its website
and is working with the Office of Refugees and Immigrants on further efforts.
EEC WEBSITE TO MAKE GOOGLE TRANSLATION SERVICE AVAILABLE
As part of EEC’s commitment to improve services to its non-native English speaking
constituency, the Department is adding a free service from Google Language Tools to our
website which offers automated translation of written web content to the public. Through this
service, language translation is available in many languages including Spanish, Portuguese,
Chinese, French, and Vietnamese (and many more) for all posted EEC web content. A user
can select their language and type in any website at
http://www.google.com/language_tools?hl=en in order to receive free translated information
in their native language. This option will be embedded in the EEC’s web site and available to
the public by the second week of July. Through the use of this tool, all materials on EEC’s
web site will be available in multiple languages. EEC will also recommend that programs
consider adding this free service to their website as well.
INTERAGENCY COLLABORATION WITH THE HEAD START STATE COLLABORATION OFFICE
(HSSCO) AND THE OFFICE OF REFUGEES AND IMMIGRANTS (ORI)
On June 5th and 15th, Richard Chacon, Executive Director of the Office of Immigrants and
Refugees, met with EEC Regional Licensors staff and EEC central staff to provide an overview of
services provided by ORI. Information related to the Governor’s New American Initiative and the
role of the Governor’s Advisory Council on Immigrant and Refugees. Accomplishments of
projects under the EEC and ORI partnership were also mentioned. On June 15, EEC
Commissioner met with as Richard Chacon, and Naomi Mayer from Greater Boston Legal
Services to discuss how to improve services for individuals with Limited English Proficiency
(LEP). They discussed plans for: internal assessment, a community needs assessment,
development of interpretation and translation policies and procedures, training and interpreter
services, monitoring and evaluation, and collaboration with state agencies to share new and
existing services.
On June 23rd, as part of expanding licensing opportunities for immigrant and refugee’s
communities, EEC licensors, central staff, and a Head Start program director will meet with
Representative Richardson and Framingham constituents to address the needs of the Portuguese
community regarding licensing childcare. This is an ongoing partnership, established in
November of 2008, with the purpose of developing effective solutions that meet the needs of the
local communities related to quality childcare for Limited English Proficiency populations.
TRIAL COURT CARE
History
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Massachusetts previously supported Trial Court Care Programs, alternatively known as
CourtCare. Massachusetts’ Trial Court Care programs were funded through a unique line-item.
The funding was to provide on-demand child care services, as well as, support and referral
services for their families. Trial Court Care Programs had a contract with the former Office of
Child Care Services (OCCS) and a facilities contract with the Administrative Office of the Trial
Court (AOTC), as AOTC provided the space, equipment and furnishings. The Trial Court Care
programs served only families with business before the court. The intent was to keep kids away
from the adult court room proceedings and to link these families to subsidies and other support
services. The CourtCare programs are a nationally recognized model of care, which was
successfully replicated in many states across the country such as Colorado, California,
Pennsylvania, Florida, Louisiana, Texas and New York. Massachusetts’ Trial Court Care Programs
were closed in FY03 due to state budget cuts.
According to the Administrative Office of the Trial Court, a 2006 survey of Trial Court
Departments demonstrated support for reinstatement of the CourtCare program, particularly in
Boston, Brockton, Chelsea, Fall River, Lawrence, Plymouth, Springfield, West Roxbury, and
Worcester. The estimated cost to re-establish these courts would be approximately $2.5 million.
The Trial Court reports that total child enrollment in all ten of the CourtCare centers during FY02
totaled 19,972. The Office of the Trial Court expects the same, if not more, demand for care, if
these programs were reinstated.
Program Model
EEC’s model of CourtCare would be developed similar to the flexible center-based model used
for some licensed domestic violence and teen parent programs. This model also aligns with the
new child care regulations coming into effect later this year. This model allows a vendor to open
a flexible small mixed group child care program, and tailor its staffing pattern to the needs of
the program based on children in attendance. EEC will ensure that all staff and qualified
volunteers working in these programs have passed EEC’s BRC requirements. EEC will allow for
licensing variances to account for programmatic accommodations to best fit the program model
and target population. Some of these variances may be in the following areas: evacuation drills,
reports to parents, parent conferences, children’s records, amended children’s enrollment forms,
medical and immunization requirements, food and food preparations, outdoor space and outdoor
playtime and medication administration. EEC will do its best to work with vendors to ensure
those programs can meet the needs of the court care population and the needs of the court in
each courthouse location.
The role of the court care programs will be to:

Reduce the stress on the courts and court personnel by offering high quality child care for
citizens having court business.

Provide a positive child care model to parents of children who may not be currently
receiving child care and limited experiences with leaving their child with a stranger.

Program can provide a first line of support and understanding for a child whose parent
may have just been through a difficult court hearing. Educators can take the time to talk
to parent and ensure parent is stable before they take the child.

Provide safe and nurturing licensed child care to children while their family members are
involved with court business in a quick and efficient manner.
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
Reduce the risk to injury to children by providing child-safe and professionally staffed
quality child care.

Reduce children’s exposure to details of crime, violence, rape, and custody battles.

Assist parents through the use of a quick and high quality screening tool assess children
for indicators of social emotional developmental problems and delay and assist with
providing appropriate referrals for support.

Provide staff and qualified volunteers who are familiar with and appropriately sensitive to
cultural practices and diversity of court clients and shall have the ability to have
conversational skills in languages commonly spoken by the court clients.

Provide programs with staff that respect the privacy rights of clients and maintain
appropriate confidentiality and neutrality regarding court cases and court business;

Provide trained mandated reporters to help support children and families by identifying
child abuse and neglect in high risk families;

Provide referral information to families in a wide away of services and supports such as
health, dental, vision, housing, nutrition, child care resources, literacy, special needs and
Massachusetts Family Networks (this is but a few of the various resources that we could
focus on to share with parents); and

Through upcoming information technology upgrades EEC will have the ability to gather
various sources of data and track children into the EEC IT system to inform and better
plan for the future needs of Early Education and Care families.
Next Steps
EEC is in support of the Court Care initiative, and with additional funding would pursue
implementing it.
STRATEGIC DIRECTION: CREATE A WORKFORCE SYSTEM THAT MAINTAINS WORKER DIVERSITY
AND PROVIDES RESOURCES, SUPPORTS, EXPECTATIONS, & CORE COMPETENCIES THAT LEAD
TO THE OUTCOMES WE WANT FOR CHILDREN.
EEC has identified the following key elements that must be in place to establish a
comprehensive Workforce Development System for Massachusetts:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Statewide Infrastructure Building, Leadership, and Strategic Planning;
Core Competencies (and Orientation);
Professional Development Data Management System;
Credentialing and Career Lattice (Career Pathways); and
Professional Development Opportunities and Resources Aligned with Requirements and
Workforce Needs
Toward that end, EEC has begun envisioning and building a workforce development system as
three interconnected levels: statewide, regional, and local. In this vision, these levels share
common elements of workforce development as noted above. Each level also contributes
unique functions, key partners, linkages, and pathways to the system. Information and data
travels throughout the system from the local to the regional and state levels and back. Patterns
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of need are identified at the local and regional levels, encouraging coordination and economies
of scale in the development and provision of resources. Broad direction is determined at the
state level, but implementation is adapted to the characteristics and needs of each region and
local community. Best practices are identified and shared across the continuum. Multiple
pathways (non-credit and credit-bearing) for professional development that are aligned through
EEC’s core competencies, are accessible at each level of the system to support implementation
of EEC’s licensing regulations, the Quality Rating Improvement System (QRIS), Universal PreKindergarten (UPK), and other initiatives.
Through legislative language EEC is required to provide an annual update on its efforts to
develop a workforce development system. To read the most recent report see
http://www.eec.state.ma.us/docs/WorkforceDevelopmentReport0309.pdf.
EEC’s primary professional development initiatives are:
EEC CORE COMPETENCIES
The Professional Development Workgroup of EEC’s Advisory recently completed its review of the
8 Core Competency areas and the attendant indicators that were recommended by the
Workforce Development Task Force. EEC is hoping to issue the initial set of competencies and
indicators in FY2010. EEC has already imbedded these Core Competency Areas in grant and
contract requirements for FY2008, FY2009, and FY2010 including the Building Careers and
Community Partnerships for Children (CPC) Program and Practitioner Support Grants, and the
Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) contracts for professional development. Each entity is
responsible for indicating how their professional development offerings align with the 8 core
competency areas and identifying the appropriate competency area when entering their
offerings into EEC’s Professional Development Calendar.
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS’ SCHOLARSHIP
FY2010: 1018 students - $3,200,000
Funding for the Early Childhood Educators Scholarship program is in the Department of Higher
Education’s (DHE) budget. The program is jointly administered by DHE, Office of Student
Financial Assistance (OFSA) and EEC. The purpose of the program is to support costs associated
with tuition, fees, and related expenses for up to 3 courses per semester in an Associates or
Bachelors degree program in early childhood or a related field. The goal is to increase access to
higher education for early education and care and out of school time providers currently working
in the field, since compensation levels in this profession make it difficult for individuals to afford
higher education opportunities, which challenges the advancement of the field. The Scholarship
program is also a link to the professional development pathway that includes Building Careers
and other professional development opportunities.
ECE scholarships are awarded to individual educators annually. Award amounts depend on the
number of credits an applicant has applied for and the institution of higher education that the
applicant has chosen to attend. Only colleges and universities in Massachusetts that offer an
Associate or Bachelors degree program in early childhood or a related field are eligible. ECE
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Scholarships are awarded for no less than 1 course/3 credits a year to no more than 3 courses/9
credits per semester. Educators must be working in an EEC licensed or authorized program for
at least 1 year to participate in the ECE Scholarship program.
To ensure that the ECE Scholarship continues to meet the needs of the early childhood and out
of school time workforce, EEC and DHE convened an interagency workgroup to review the
existing legislative requirements, current eligibility criteria, and available data on the ECE
Scholarship program, relevant state and federal requirements, and current policies and practices
for awarding scholarships. In addition to staff from EEC, DHE, and OSFA group members include
representatives from two year and four year institutions of higher education. The ECE
Scholarship Workgroup will be responsible for providing a brief impact report regarding the
intent of the legislation and will provide recommendations regarding data (collection and
analysis), support (for matriculating students), targeting (for non-traditional, adult and diverse
learners) and marketing of the scholarships (to current early education and care professionals).
BUILDING CAREERS IN EARLY EDUCATION AND CARE
FY2010: 21 grants - $932,776
The purpose of the Building Careers program is to increase access to higher education for early
education and care and out of school time educators who are seeking a degree in early
childhood education or a related field by funding college courses and academic advising. The
program is intended to build pathways to college and professional development for what are
often non-traditional students, by providing career and academic advising, using a cohort model,
and scheduling courses at times that are convenient for working adults. A goal of the program is
to enhance the ability of early education and care and out of school time educators to plan and
implement curriculum and to assess children and youth. Another goal is to promote the
inclusion of children with special needs in early education and care and out of school time
programs.
Building Careers originated as a 3-year federal grant (FY05-FY07) in the Early Learning Services
unit at the Department of Education. The program was transitioned to EEC with the unit in
FY2006. Building Careers is now a continuation grant that EEC currently awards to 21 public and
private colleges and universities in Massachusetts; 14 two-year and 7 four-year institutions are
currently participating. Grants range from $38,784 grants for two-year institutions and $54,000
grants for four-year institutions. Each program is required to maintain a cohort of 20-30
students; estimates from FY09 indicate that just over 700 students were served through the
program. There is a Building Careers Coordinator at each institution responsible for the
oversight and assurance of coursework and support services; outreach and recruitment of new
students; collaboration with other institutions of higher education, local CPC councils, CCR&Rs,
and high schools.
See Appendix E for funding award amounts.
BUILDING CAREERS: COLLEGE COURSES IN SPECIAL EDUCATION
FY2010: supplemental funding for special needs courses - $271,600
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All 21 Building Careers colleges have opted to offer at least one course in children with special
needs and disabilities. Supplemental grant amounts range from $7,450 to $12,950 depending
on whether the college is offering an undergraduate or graduate course. Courses are open to
Building Careers students and other educators in early education and care who are working with
preschool age children with disabilities and to educators who are responsible for training others
in the field. The federal special education funds for these courses are provided to EEC by the
Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (ESE) to address special needs and
disabilities, as would be documented in children’s IEPs, in preschool settings.
See Appendix E for funding award amounts.
CDA SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
FY2010: 00 scholarships - $00,000 (To date)
The Council for Professional Recognition awards Child Development Associate (CDA) credentials
for family child care, center-based preschool, center-based infant-toddler, home visitor, and bilingual. The CDA Scholarship program supports the cost of the application fees for Assessment
($325), Second Setting ($225), and Renewal ($50) CDA. Income eligible Massachusetts
residents working in a child care program and applying for their CDA credential are eligible. All
recipients must have their high school diploma or GED. This program has been suspended until
the second half of FY2010 at which point, EEC will determine if sufficient funding exists to
implement it.
PROGRAM AND PRACTITIONER SUPPORT GRANTS
FY2010: 95 grants the CFCE Councils (formerly known as CPCs) - $1,988,257
In FY2010, EEC combined separate funding streams to the CFCE Councils (formerly known as
CPCs) for accreditation support and professional development into a single grant. The combined
grant gives CFCE Councils greater flexibility in responding to the inter-related needs of programs
and educators in their local communities. These grants are intended to improve educational and
developmental outcomes for children in early education and out-of-school time programs by:

increasing the number of well-trained practitioners by providing developmentally appropriate
learning experiences, as well as the resources needed to achieve a related credentials,
associate, and bachelor degrees; and by

expanding the number of programs that are accredited by the National Association for the
Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the National Association for Family Child Care
(NAFCC), or the Council on Accreditation (COA-Standards for Afterschool Programs) by
funding supports, consultation for, and costs associated with, accreditation and reaccreditation.
This grant is also intended to support early education and care programs across the state in
preparing for participation in both the Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) Program, where
applicable, and EEC’s Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS), which is in development.
Both UPK quality standards and the draft QRIS standards recognize accreditation and highly
skilled staff as critical components of program quality.
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See Appendix E for funding award amounts.
CHILD CARE RESOURCE AND REFERRAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
FY2010: 15 contract amendments - $703,679
The specific goals of the Professional Development Required Services amendment are for Child
Care Resource and Referral agencies (CCR&Rs) to conduct outreach to programs and collaborate
with local partners to support the promulgation of new child care regulations by offering needed
professional development and to increase the number of well-trained practitioners by providing
developmentally appropriate learning experiences as defined by core competency areas as well
as the resources needed to achieve related credentials, associate, and bachelor degrees.
See Appendix E for funding award amounts.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT REGISTRY
FY2009 – 5,553 applications processed
EEC reviews over 5,000 applications and transcripts annually to qualify educators working in
child care centers for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers as teachers, lead teachers or directors.
This free service provides educators with a certificate documenting their qualifications, simplifies
hiring for programs, and expedites the licensing process for EEC. This on-line application will
become the basis for a workforce registry for all the educators in EEC-licensed early education
and out of school time programs. New regulations will require annual registration for all in the
field beginning in January 2010. This will give EEC first time ever data on the size and
composition of the workforce. Going forward, EEC intends to develop a more sophisticated
workforce registry that tracks and guides the professional development of educators in the field.
See Appendix G for EEC’s Teacher, Lead Teacher, Director I and II certification requirements.
EEC PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CALENDAR
An important tool for aligning and maximizing professional development resources as described
above is the web-based EEC Professional Development Calendar, which was launched in FY2009
as a centralized source of information on courses and training for all educators and licensees. In
addition to empowering educators to make informed decisions about their professional
development options, EEC’s Professional Development Calendar will foster collaboration across
training entities, reduce duplication to maximize resources, and make it easier for EEC licensors
to identify resources for providers as issues arise. Because the CFCE Councils (formerly known
as CPCs) and CCR&Rs are required to post their EEC-funded professional development offerings
on the calendar, it is generating data on types of courses offered throughout the state and
educators served in those courses, as well as other information that helps guide policy and
funding decisions by the agency. The EEC Professional Development Calendar can be accessed
at: http://www.eec.state.ma.us/ProfessionalDevelopment/WebFindTraining.aspx.
Following are a few charts, which describe the offerings posted on the Professional Development
Calendar.
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There were 1262 Courses listed on the Professional Development calendar in FY09
889 of those were funded in part or in total by EEC
19,353 Educators attended professional development offerings 2
2
Agencies listing courses on the calendar enter results of EEC evaluation form into calendar database after course is
completed. Data on Educators is collected from evaluation result data. Some agencies have not listed results and some
courses do not require evaluations (such as first aid and CPR). 956 of the 1262 courses were evaluated. Due to
discrepancy between courses listed and courses evaluated, actual numbers of educators served in all categories is
higher than numbers listed through evaluation result data.
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STRATEGIC DIRECTION: CREATE AND IMPLEMENT AN EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL
COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY THAT ADVOCATES FOR AND CONVEYS THE VALUE OF EARLY
EDUCATION AND CARE TO STAKEHOLDERS, CONSUMERS, AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC AND
POSITIONS EEC AS A NATIONAL EDUCATION LEADER.
EEC’s Board and the agency are both committed to communicating with the variety of audiences
that EEC engages with. At this time, EEC does not have the on-staff capacity to pursue this
work, and will likely remain through the budgetary constraints. Further work on EEC’s website is
also currently on hold pending EOE’s IT consolidation project. The following is work EEC will
engage in around communications:







The public understands and values the purpose of EEC.
Families of all languages understand the services and resources offered by EEC.
All stakeholders in the field and consumers are aware of EEC initiatives, policies and procedures and have
access to information to facilitate advocacy.
State and local leaders understand how EEC initiatives serve and benefit their communities.
EEC is fully aware of and responds to the type, style and nature of the information needed by external
stakeholders and consumers.
All EEC staff members are knowledgeable of agency initiatives, operations, key staff functions, and the agency’s
community partners.
EEC is known among major press outlets and institutions of higher education as the authoritative resource on
early education and care issues in the state and for leading developments in the field.
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
EEC is known as a national education leader, at the forefront of Universal Pre-Kindergarten and unrivaled in the
development of quality standards for all early education and care programs.
STRATEGIC DIRECTION: BUILD THE INTERNAL INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT ACHIEVING THE
VISION.
The following projects describe EEC’s efforts to build an infrastructure to effectively support the
vision.
IT SYSTEM
EEC continues to provide IT resources to insure staff and programs have adequate resources to
meet their goals. All staff has desktop machines; the EEC network infrastructure is state-of-the
art and complies with all ITD standards and best practices. Its custom database applications
and growing data warehouse provide a rich source of child, family, and provider data for
research study and analysis.
Summary of IT Resources

Database stores of all provider licensing and regulatory compliance history back to
FY1997

Data warehouse of financial assistance data for children and families in voucher or
contracts back to FY2006 and FY2000 respectively.

Professional development records and certifications for early childhood professional back
to FY2002.
EEC Unified IT System
With IT Bond Funds awarded over 4 fiscal years, EEC is developing a an enterprise unified IT
system that will provide on-line eligibility determinations, provider reimbursement, and data
collection of child and family attributes facilitating longitudinal study of these children as they
pass into public school and beyond. This system will integrate EEC’s legacy applications and
streamline many internal and external processes.
HEAD START STATE ADVISORY COUNCIL
On December 1, 2007 President Bush signed into law the Improving Head Start for School
Readiness Act of 2007, PL 110-134. Section 624B of the 2007 Head Start Act, 42 USC 9837b
relates to each state's responsibility to establish a "State Advisory Council on Early Childhood
Education and Care (SAC) for children from birth to school entry." The Act expressly allows the
Governor to designate an existing entity in the State to serve as the SAC (see Section 642B
(b)(1)(B).)
SAC Functions and Membership
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Under the Act, the functions of the SAC are limited to strategic planning. The Act enumerates
the SAC's functions as follows:
1. Creating a statewide strategic plan that includes, among other things, "a periodic
statewide needs assessment concerning the quality and availability of early childhood
education and development and services for children from birth to school entry, including
an assessment of the availability of high-quality pre-kindergarten services for low-income
children." Section 642B(b)(1)(D)(i)(I). The Act lists six other elements that must be
included in the SAC's statewide strategic plan, such as identifying opportunities for
collaboration and coordination, developing recommendations for the establishment of a
unified data collection system and a statewide professional development plan, and
making recommendations for improvements in state early learning standards. See
Section 642B(b)(1)(D)(i)(II)-(VII).
2. Holding public hearings and presenting the statewide strategic plan to the
Commonwealth’s Director of Head Start Collaboration and the Governor. See Section
642B(b)(1)(D)(ii).
3. After submission of the statewide strategic plan, meeting periodically to review any
implementation of the recommendations in such report and any changes in state and
local needs. See Section 642B(b)(1)(D)(iii).
The Act contains a proposed SAC membership list, and states that the Governor shall take steps
to ensure "to the maximum extent possible" that the SAC includes the nine representatives
expressly identified in the statute, along with representatives of any other entities "determined
to be relevant" by the Governor. See Section 642B(b)(1)(C).
EEC has made the following proposal which is pending with the Governor’s office. Massachusetts’
will designate the Board of Early Education and Care as the Commonwealth’s SAC. The
Commonwealth’s Director of Head Start Collaboration will be designated as the individual
responsible for coordinating the activities of the SAC. Formalizing a SAC makes Massachusetts
eligible for up to $1.1M in funding for these activities.
ASSIGNING STUDENT IDENTIFIERS (SASIDS) TO PRE-K CHILDREN
During August, Commissioner Killins and ESE Commissioner Chester signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) to exchange data regarding children participating in EEC financial
assistance programs. The intent of the MOU is to develop a data share system in which EEC will
disclose to ESE information about children participating in EEC funded programs for the purpose
of ESE assigning a State Assigned Student Identification (SASID) number to each child. This will
allow EEC, in consultation and coordination with ESE, to engage in longitudinal studies of child
outcomes as children transition from early education and care programs into public school and
beyond. This project will allow the Commonwealth to evaluate the effectiveness of programs,
and ultimately facilitate the Governor’s “Readiness Passport” program.
The two agencies will first pilot the data exchange by automating the exchange of key child data
elements with ESE to either look up the existing SASID of a child, or if the child is too young, to
assign one. EEC intends to pilot this data exchange with one or both of the following
populations:
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

Teen Parents and their children served by EEC’s financial assistance systems; and/or
Greater Springfield children served by EEC's financial assistance programs.
The pilot will initially focus on the data quality of EEC’s data, and the efficiency of the exchange.
MONITORING AND ACCOUNTABILITY EFFORTS
EEC has a responsibility to ensure that it safeguards the Commonwealth’s assets, including the
children in care each day. EEC ensures the accountability of the system by auditing routinely for
financial and safety risks. Fiscal risks are addressed through EEC’s processes for auditing,
program monitoring, and fiscal recoupment. Safety risks are attended to through EEC’s licensing
regulations and regular licensing visits. EEC has also begun to collect data on all of its grant
programs about outcomes accomplished from the work, to ensure that the larger goals and
purposes of the agency are being accomplished.
FUTURE DATA COLLECTION EFFORTS
In the near future, EEC is interested in re-instating the Community Profiles data collection
project. These surveys would be sent to all programs and providers in the Commonwealth, with
coordination by the Coordinated Family and Community Engagement (CFCE) lead agent. The
surveys gather data about supply, demand, quality, curriculum, teacher quality, and community
concerns. Much of this data is not currently collected elsewhere by EEC. The data would be
aggregated into Community Profiles and be used to inform policy decisions.
EEC INTERNAL RE-ORGANIZATION
To better meet perform EEC’s daily operations and reach its strategic vision, the agency has
been re-organized into the following divisions.

The Office of the Commissioner includes units that directly support the Commissioner
and the whole agency. These include a Policy, Research and Evaluation Unit and an
Information and Outreach Unit. Also under the Office of the Commissioner is the Office of
the General Counsel that interacts and provides guidance to the Board of Early Education
and Care and legal support to all units in the agency, Information Technology that
supports all EEC units and their work thorough multiple specialized applications and
reporting systems, Human Resources and Facilities that support employees and the
physical environment of the EEC offices and the Executive Administrative Support to the
Commissioner;

The Office of Administration and Finance support the mission through all fiscal
activities and is responsible for all issues related to the budget, the procurement of
services including contracted care and vendor slots for children, administration
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management of grants and funding that enhance services for children and families and
the payment of all EEC expenses;

The Office of Regional Operations, Support and Engagement supports the mission
thorough regulating all care provided to children thorough the licensing of programs
including residential and placement care of children outside the traditional family units
i.e. 24 hour facilities, adoption and foster care, investigation of alleged complaints of
mistreatment and abuse of children while in these settings. Also in this office is the
Family and Community Engagement and Program Monitoring Unit that directs the
implementation of a statewide strategy for family and community engagement through
the consolidated community/ regional office infrastructure. This Family and Community
Engagement and Program Monitoring Unit will disseminate information about programs,
grants and other EEC sponsored opportunities for families (e.g., translated resources and
materials) and providers (e.g., professional development resources). The Family and
Community Engagement and Program Monitoring Unit also includes a strong regional
field and family feedback and input component as the Department develops and
implements policies, promulgates regulations and promotes best practices in licensing,
monitoring. The Educator/Provider Support Unit will manage the EEC’s Professional
Development Registry and develop the technical assistance and training to support new
and existing licensing regulations and requirements. This unit will also oversee programs
including: Special Quest (training for early educators on the inclusion of students with
disabilities); CSEFEL (training for early educators on the social and emotional
development of children); Mind in the Making (training on the intersection between the
science of early child development and practice in the field); Communities of Practice
(meeting with public school preschool and other early education programs to share and
gather input on a variety of topics); financial support and technical assistance via grants
to support program accreditation.
The organizational structure will look like:
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COMMUNITY PROFILES
EEC has created profiles of each of the 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts. See document
Massachusetts Community Profiles.docx for an individual profile for each city and town. Included
here is an overall summary of the profiles.
SUMMARY OF COMMUNITY PROFILES
Population Demographics:
The following statistics describe the population of children in Massachusetts in terms of total
population, percent in poverty, children speaking a language other than English, and children
living with a single parent. Understanding characteristics of children enables programs and
providers to tailor services in a culturally appropriate manner.
Child Population: In Massachusetts there are 1,005,601 children ages 0-11. Monroe has the
fewest children with 11, and Boston has the most with 79,379.
Single Parent Households: In Massachusetts, 26% of households with children under 18 are
headed by single parents. Southborough has the least percentage at 1% and Springfield has the
highest percent at 54%.
Young children living in poverty (ages 0-5): In Massachusetts, 12% of children ages 0-5 live
below the federal poverty income threshold. Fifty cities and towns have 0% of children living
below this threshold and Gosnold has the highest at 75%, but this is due to a very small child
population. In Holyoke, 45% of children live below the federal poverty line.
Older children living in poverty (ages 6-11): In Massachusetts, 12% of children ages 6-11 live
below the federal poverty threshold. Thirty-two cities and towns have 0% of children living
below this threshold and Holyoke has the greatest percentage at 43%.
School Children with primary language other than English: In Massachusetts, 15% of school
children have a primary language other than English. In 33 cities and towns 0% of children have
a primary language other than English. In Lawrence and Chelsea, more than 80% of the children
have a primary language other than English.
Population born outside of US: In Massachusetts, 13% of parents/children were born outside of
the US.
Environmental Risk Factors
The following set of statistics describes environmental factors that, without remediating support,
may impede the child’s ability to be ready for school.
Children receiving Food Stamps: In Massachusetts, 17% of children are in families receiving
food stamps.
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Children referred by DCF: In Massachusetts, 3% of children ages 0-5 were referred to DCF in
one year. During the same year, there were 121 cities and towns where no children were
referred. Adams had the highest percentage with 12% of children 0-5 referred by DCF. Similarly
for children ages 6-11, 120 cities and towns have no children referred. Russell has the highest
percentage for this age bracket, at 12%.
Children who are homeless, receiving child care: In Massachusetts, 0.2% of children who are
homeless are receiving child care. The majority of communities have no homeless children
receiving child care, 260. Boston and Newbury have very close to 1% of all children 0-11 who
are homeless and receive child care.
Women Receiving Prenatal care: Massachusetts has a very high percent of women receiving
prenatal care at 82%.
Educational Risk Factors
These risk factors are related to the child or parent’s educational history or other factors that
correlate to children who are at risk of having challenges in school.
Children born to mothers who have less than a high school degree: In Massachusetts, 11% of
children are born to mothers with less than a high school degree. There are 55 communities
where no children were born to mothers with less than a high school degree. In Holyoke, nearly
half of the children, 45%, are born to mothers with less than a high school degree.
Low Birth Weight Children: 1% of Massachusetts children are born at low birth weight of less
than 3.3 pounds. 296 communities had no low weight births. Ayer had the highest percentage
at 5%.
Children in Early Intervention: 10% of Massachusetts aged 0-3 are receiving Early Intervention
services through DPH. 15 communities had no children in Early Intervention. Monterey had the
highest percentage at 21% in EI.
Early Education and Care Resources
EEC Licensed Program Type: The number of licensed programs and public preschool programs
and capacity are listed by program type and age group. Massachusetts’ total capacity of
246,996 can serve 24.5% of the population aged 0-11 through these programs.
EEC Funded Program Type: The number of EEC funded programs (5,827) and the number of
children receiving EEC financial assistance (54,120) and the number of children on the income
eligible waitlist (19,828) are listed by program type. 32% of Massachusetts licensed and license
exempt capacity are receiving EEC assistance or in Public Pre-K.
EEC Grants
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Type of Grant and Amount Available: List of grants funded by EEC that serve Massachusetts
communities. The amounts are listed for area programs that may cover more than one
community.
Affordability
2009 Regional median price of center based early education and care: Infant, Toddler, and
Preschool price for the region where community is located.
Median of Prices of Full Time Child Care Centers
Region
1 Western
2 Central
3 Northeast
4 Greater
Boston
5 Southeast
6 Boston
Age Group
Infant
Toddler
Preschool
Infant
Toddler
Preschool
Infant
Toddler
Preschool
Infant
Toddler
Preschool
Infant
Toddler
Preschool
Infant
Toddler
Preschool
Median
$51.00
$46.00
$36.00
$54.00
$50.00
$41.00
$67.00
$60.00
$46.20
$73.40
$67.80
$54.97
$50.00
$47.00
$40.00
$62.00
$55.00
$40.00
Quality
Percent of group center programs that are accredited by NAEYC: 40% of Massachusetts group
centers and public preschools are accredited by NAEYC.
Number of family child care providers that are accredited by NAFCC: 79 family child care
providers in Massachusetts are accredited by NAFCC.
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APPENDICES
APPENDIX A: REPORT LEGISLATIVE LANGUAGE
SECTION 85. The board of early education and care, established in section 3 of chapter 15D of
the General Laws, shall, in consultation with the advisory council established under section 3A of
said chapter 15D, assess and report on the current and potential capacity of the existing early
education and care system to: enhance the quality of early education and care programs;
provide multiple points of entry and outreach for families including those in hard to reach
populations; deliver comprehensive services including mental health consultation and
intervention services to decrease expulsion rates; foster collaboration and coordinate resources
among providers of early education programs and linkages with human services agencies, the
department of elementary and secondary education and local school districts; undertake school
readiness assessments and program evaluations; maximize resources for workforce and
professional development for early education and care professionals; and reestablish trial court
child care programs.
The board shall include in its report a review of the local and regional organizational structures
required by section 4 of chapter 15D of the General Laws, along with recommendations for how
to achieve the most effective regional and local coordination to enhance the quality of services
delivered through the early education and care system. The report shall also include
recommendations relative to any legislation necessary to support or authorize such plans. The
board shall submit its report not later than December 15, 2008, to the clerks of the house of
representatives and the senate who will forward the same to the joint committee on education.
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APPENDIX B: DEFINITION OF QUALITY
Dimensions of High-Quality Preschool Programs
Overview: Nationally there is no single definition or method of measuring infant and toddler or
preschool quality.3 Preschool programs are typically rated or assessed on two dimensions of
quality – process and structure. Structural features which are thought to contribute to quality
include: group size, adult-child ratio, state or program-level standards for children, background
and training of staff, and other program features (e.g. NAEYC accreditation). Process features
include the actual experiences that occur in the classroom or home including the interactions,
activities, relationships, and routines. Research has consistently found that process and
structural quality are related and that both influence the quality of children’s educational
experiences and outcomes.
Quality Framework: Research and best practices point to the following important elements of
high-quality early education from the child, family, and program perspectives. Each element
below is cited by supporting research, if available, and alignment with NAEYC standards, Head
Start performance standards, and the draft Quality Rating and Improvement System standards
(QRIS) is noted as well.
Program Quality from a Child’s Perspective






Warm and responsive relationships between the child and adults4 (draft QRIS standard
category, NAEYC standard 1.B, 3.B, Head Start performance standards)
Ongoing opportunities for child to demonstrate curiosity and to learn important skills,
knowledge, and dispositions (e.g., individualized and challenging materials and activities,
structured activities throughout the day) (NAEYC standard 3, Head Start performance
standards)
Ongoing opportunities for child to make decisions throughout the day (e.g., activity
choice) and direct their own learning through a balance of teacher/ family child care
provider directed, child initiated activities (NAEYC standard 1.D, Head Start performance
standards)
Opportunities to develop friendships and engage in positive interactions with peers
(NAEYC standard 1.C)
Respect for child’s home language and culture (e.g., incorporated into curriculum and
routines) (NAEYC standard 1.A)
Opportunities for child to learn school readiness skills (e.g., language and literacy,
problem solving, listening, direction following, emotional and behavioral regulation, early
3
According to Harvard’s Center on the Developing Child, although there has been rigorous evaluation of intensive model programs and scaled-up
programs, available data do not decisively answer whether specific program features are more important than others or whether the full combination
is critical to achieve strong impacts. For example, although it is possible that improvements in particular dimensions of program quality (such as
improving the curriculum) may be more influential than another, current research does not give us all of the information needed to differentiate
among multiple, positive program characteristics.
4
Peisner-Feinberg, E.S., Burchinal, M.R., Clifford, R.M., Culkin, M.L., Howes, C., Kagan, S.l., Yazejian, N., Byler, P., Rustici, J., & Zelazo, J. (1999). The
children of the cost, quality, and outcomes study go to school: Executive summary. Chapel Hill, Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center.
42
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

mathematics and numeracy, early scientific thinking, information about the world and
how it works) (NAEYC standard 2, Head Start performance standards)
Variety in child’s daily schedule (e.g., active and quiet time, indoor and outdoor time,
short and longer activities) (NAEYC standard 2.A.11, Head Start performance standards)
Variety of learning format opportunities including whole group, small group and individual
interaction with the teacher/family child care provider (NAEYC standard 3.D, Head Start
performance standards)
Program Quality from a Family’s Perspective



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




Families are included as partners in program (draft QRIS standards, NAEYC standard 1.A
& 7, Head Start performance standards) which should include:
Consultation about interests and abilities of their children
Direct communication between families and the classroom teacher/family child care
provider
Respect of the role of the parent /primary caregiver as the child’s first teacher/family
child care provider
Welcomed into the program and allowed to observe/participate
Information is shared about each child’s progress
Opportunities to contribute to program policies
Home language and culture is respected and incorporated into program
Offered information about nutrition and comprehensive services, when needed
Program Quality from a Teacher/ Family Child Care Provider/Curriculum/Classroom Perspective



Teachers/family child care providers have specific training in early childhood education 5
(NAEYC standard 6)
Teachers/family child care providers have appropriate educational credentials 67 (draft
QRIS standards, NAEYC standard 6.A, Head Start performance standards)
Teachers have bachelor’s degree8
5
Clarke-Stewart, Gruber & Fitzgerald (1994). Children at home and in day care. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum; Kontos, Hsu & Dunn (1994). Children’s
cognitive and social competence in childcare centers and family day care homes. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 15, 387-411.
6 Barnett, W. S., Lamy, C., & Jung, K. (2005), The effects of state prekindergarten programs on young children’s school readiness in five states. Rutgers
University: National Institute for Early Education Research; Gormley, W.T., Gayer, T., Phillips, D. & Dawson, B. (2005). The effects of universal pre-k on
cognitive development.
Developmental Psychology, 41 (6), 872-874; Early, D.M., Maxwell, K. L., Burchinal, M., Alva, S., Bender, R.H., Bryant, D., et al. (2007). Teachers’
education, classroom quality, and young children’s academic skills: Results from the seven studies of preschool programs. Child Development, 78 (2),
558-580.
7
NIEER and Pre-K Now define this as a bachelor’s degree and specific training in early childhood education. NAEYC has phased-in timeline for
credentials (BA requirement by 2020). Head Start has phased in additional requirements for teachers; 50% must have BA by 2013. According to Pre-K
Now, classroom aides should have a minimum of a child development associate credential.
8Kelley, P. & Camilli, G. (2007). The impact of teacher education on outcomes in center-based education programs: A meta-analysis. NIEER Working
Papers; Marshall, N. L., Creps, C. L., Burstein, N. R., Cahill, K. E., Robeson, W. W., Wang, S. Y., Schimmenti, J., & Glantz, F. B. (2003). Family Child Care
Today: A Report of the Findings of the Massachusetts Cost/Quality Study: Family Child Care Homes. Wellesley Centers for Women and Abt Associates,
Inc.; Whitebook, M. (2003). Early Education Quality: Higher Teacher Qualifications for Better Learning Environments: A Review of the Literature. Center
for the Study of Child Care Employment, University of California, Berkeley; Early, D. M., Bryant, D. M., Pianta, R. C., Clifford, R. M., Burchinal, M. R.,
Ritchie, S., Howes, C., Barbarin, O. (2006). Are teachers’ education, major, and credentials related to classroom quality and children’s academic gains
in pre-kindergarten? Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 21, 174-195.; Pianta, R., Howes, C., Burchinal, M., Bryant, D., Clifford, R., Early, D., &
Barbarin, O. (2005). Features of pre-kindergarten programs, classrooms, and teachers: Do they predict observed classroom quality and child-teacher
interactions? Applied Developmental Science, 9, 3, 144-159.; Kelley, P. & Camilli, G. (2007). The impact of teacher education on outcomes in center-
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










Head Start has phased in additional requirements of teachers, 50% must have BA by
2013
NAEYC has phased-in timeline for credentials (BA requirement by 2020
Teachers/ family child care providers have frequent and meaningful interactions and
relationships with children9 (draft QRIS standards, NAEYC standard 3)
Teachers/ family child care providers have frequent and meaningful interactions and
relationships with parents/guardians (NAEYC standard 1.A, Head Start performance
standards)
Teachers/ family child care providers provide language-rich environment10 (NAEYC
standard 2, Head Start performance standards)
Teachers / family child care providers use a high quality, age-appropriate, flexible, and
research-based curriculum11 aligned to K-12 standards (NAEYC standard 2)
Curriculum should include specified goals, outcomes, and content related to all aspects of
child development (cognitive, physical, social, emotional, etc.) (Head Start performance
standards, NAEYC standard 2)
Teachers/ family child care providers regularly assess each child’s progress and make
adjustments to curriculum and activities as necessary to support individualized learning
needs and styles (draft QRIS standards, NAEYC standard 4, Head Start performance
standards)12
Teachers/ family child care providers perform screenings and refer children who have
special needs for further evaluation (NAEYC standard 3, Head Start performance
standards)
Teachers/ family child care providers are paid a professional salary with benefits (defined
by national organizations such as Pre-K Now as comparable to K-12 educators)
Teachers and family child care providers have opportunities for and are provided with
ongoing professional development (draft QRIS standards, NAEYC standard 6)
Teachers / family child care providers have collaborative relationships with and are
supported by other staff, parents, and professionals (NAEYC standard 6.B, Head Start
performance standards).
The development of secure relationships in out-of-home care settings for infants and
toddlers by having a limited number of consistent teachers/family child care providers
over an extended period of time. Teachers /family child care providers must demonstrate
based education programs: A meta-analysis. NIEER Working Papers.; Clarke-Stewart, K.A., Vandell, D. L., Burchinal, M. R., O'Brien, M., & McCartney, K.
(2002). Do regulable features of child care homes affect children's development? Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 17, 52-86.
9 NICHD Early Child Care Research Network. (1996). Characteristics of infant child care: Factors contributing to positive caregiving. Early Childhood
Research Quarterly, 11, 269-306; NICHD Early Child Care Research Network. (2000b). Characteristics and quality of child care for toddlers and
preschoolers. Applied Developmental Science, 4, 116-135; Phillips, D., McCartney, K., and Scarr, s. (1987). Child-child quality and children’s social
development. Developmental Psychology, 23, 537-543.
10 McCartney, K., & Phillips, D. (Eds.) (2006), The handbook of early childhood development. Oxford, UK: Blackwell, NICHD Early Child Care Research
Network (2000a). The relation of child care to cognitive and language development. Child Development, 71, 960-980; Snow, C.E., Burns, M.B. &
Griffin, P. (Eds.). (1998). Preventing reading difficulties in young children. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
11Zill, N., Resnick, G., Sorongon, A., Kim, K., O’Donnell, K., McKey, R.H., et al. (2003). Head Start FACES 2000: A whole-child perspective on program
performance. Fourth Progress Report. Prepared for the Administration for Children and Families.
12
Kowlaski, K., Brown, R.D., & Pretti-Frontczak, K. (2005). The Effects of Using Formal Assessments on Preschool Teachers Beliefs about the Importance
of Various Developmental Skills and Abilities. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 30, 23-42; Meisels, S. J., Atkins-Burnett, S., Xue, Y., Nicholson,
J., Bickel, D. D., and Son, S-H. (2003). Creating a system of accountability: The impact of instructional assessment on elementary children's
achievement test scores, Education Policy Analysis Archives, 11(9), Retrieved June 17, 2008 from http://epaa.asu.edu/epaa/v11n9/; Hallam, R.,
Grisham-Brown, J., Gao, X. and Brookshire, R. (2007). The Effects of Outcomes-Driven Authentic Assessment on Classroom Quality, Early Childhood
Research and Practice, 9(2), from http://ecrp.uiuc.edu/v9n2/hallam.html.
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




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

an understanding of the child's family culture and, whenever possible, speak the child's
language (Head Start performance standards);
Trust and emotional security so that each child can explore the environment according to
his or her developmental level (Head Start performance standards); and
Opportunities for each child to explore a variety of sensory and motor experiences with
support and stimulation from teachers/ family child care providers and family member
(Head Start performance standards)
Programs must support the social and emotional development of infants and toddlers by
promoting an environment that (Head Start performance standards):
Encourages the development of self-awareness, autonomy, and self-expression; and
Supports the emerging communication skills of infants and toddlers by providing daily
opportunities for each child to interact with others and to express himself or herself
freely.
Programs must promote the physical development of infants and toddlers by (Head Start
performance standards):
Supporting the development of the physical skills of infants and toddlers including gross
motor skills, such as grasping, pulling, pushing, crawling, walking, and climbing; and
Creating opportunities for fine motor development that encourage the control and
coordination of small, specialized motions, using the eyes, mouth, hands, and feet.
Program Quality from a Program Perspective








Linked to community resources and services for families/children (draft QRIS standards,
NAEYC standard 8, Head Start performance standards)
Led by competent and highly-qualified leaders/directors that use reflective supervision
and provide professional support and feedback 13 (draft QRIS standards, NAEYC standard
10)
Attainment of national accreditation14 (draft QRIS standards, level 4)
Well-equipped and safe classrooms with age-appropriate and culturally competent
materials for learning (draft QRIS standards, NAEYC standard 2 & 5 & 9, Head Start
performance standards)
Provides or refers to professionals for vision, hearing, behavioral health, dental, other
health, and other services (draft QRIS standards, Head Start performance standards)
Appropriate nutrition provided (e.g. breakfast and lunch if needed) (Head Start
performance standards)
Recruit staff that reflect the cultural diversity of the children and families served (draft
QRIS standards)
Small class/group size and high staff/child ratio1516 (part of draft QRIS standards through
licensing regulations, Head Start performance standards)
13
Indicators of Quality Child Care: Research Update, produced for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
2002, http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/ccquality-ind02/
14
School Readiness in Child Care Settings: A Developmental Assessment of Children in 22 Accredited Child Care Centers,
Minnesota Department of Human Services, 2005; Whitebook, M., Sakai, L., and Howes, C. (2004). Improving and
Sustaining Center Quality: The Role of NAEYC Accreditation and Staff Stability. Early Education and Development, 15 (3),
305-326; Whitebook, M., Sakai, L., and Howes, C. NAEYC Accreditation as a Strategy for Improving Child Care Quality: An
Assessment by the National Center for the Early Childhood Work Force, Washington, DC: National Center for the Early
Childhood Work Force, 1997.
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

Active role in facilitating transitions for children between programs and settings, including
public schools if applicable (draft QRIS standards, Head Start performance standards)
Continuous evaluation of the environment and current practices, which provides ongoing
plan for improvement (draft QRIS standards, NAEYC standard 10.F, Head Start
performance standards)
Most Critical Features
The principal elements of program quality that have consistently produced positive impacts on
children, according to the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University include: 1)
highly skilled teachers/ family child care providers; 2) small class sizes and high adult-to-child
ratios; 3) age-appropriate curricula and stimulating materials in a safe physical setting; 4)
language-rich environment; 5) warm, responsive interactions between staff and children; and 6)
high and consistent levels of child participation.17
15
Considerable evidence exists that lower ratios and group sizes are associated with a wide range of developmental
indicators. At the same time, research suggests that this feature of a program is only associated with better outcomes
to the extent that it provides the conditions that make more positive classroom dynamics possible.
16
NICHD Early Child Care Research Network (1999). Child outcomes when child care center classes meet recommended
standards for quality. American Journal for Public Health, 89, 1072-1077; Phillips, Howes, & Whitebook (1992), The
social policy context of child care: effects on quality, American Journal of Community Psychology, 20 (1): 25-51.
17
Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University (2007), A Science-Based Framework for Early Childhood Policy:
Using Evidence to Improve Outcomes in Learning, Behavior, and Health for Vulnerable Children.
http://www.developingchild.harvard.edu. Citation for effect of high/consistent participation is: Hill, J.L., Brooks-Gunn,
J., & Waldfogel, J. (2003). Sustained effects of high participation in an early intervention for low-birthweight premature
infants. Developmental Psychology, 39(4), 730-744.
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APPENDIX C: MENTAL HEALTH CONSULTATION SERVICES GRANT
Mental Health Consultation Services Grantees
Agency City/Town
Associated Early Care and Education
Boston
Behavioral Health Network
Springfield
Community Care Services, Inc.
Taunton
Community Healthlink (Together for Kids)
Worcester
47
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Target
Communities
Served
Boston
Brookline
Chelsea
Revere
Winthrop
Agawam
Chicopee
East Longmeadow
Granby
Hampden
Holyoke
Ludlow
Springfield
West Springfield
Wilbraham
Attleboro
Mansfield
North Attleboro
Norton
Raynham
Taunton
Athol
Auburn
Ayer
Blackstone
Bolton
Charlton
Clinton
Devens
Douglas
Fitchburg
Gardner
Holden
Hudson
Jefferson
Leicester
Leominster
Millbury
North Grafton
Oakham
Oxford
Rutland
Shrewsbury
Southbridge
Spencer
Mental Health Consultation Services Grantees
Agency City/Town
Fall River Public Schools
Fall River
Greater Lawrence Community Action
Lawrence
Hampshire Ed Collaborative
Northampton
Quincy Community Action Programs
Quincy
48
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Target
Communities
Served
Sterling
Stowe
Upton
Webster
Westborough
Whitinsville
Winchendon
Worcester
Fall River
Somerset
Westport
Andover
Lawrence
Methuen
North Andover
Amherst
Ashfield
Athol
Belchertown
Buckland
Charlemont
Chesterfield
Colrain
Deerfield
Erving
Gill-Montague
Goshen
Greenfield
Hadley
Hawley
Heath
Leverett
Mohawk
New Salem
Orange
Plainfield
Shelburne
Shutesbury
Southhampton
Sunderland
Ware
Westhampton
Whately
Williamsburg
Braintree
Quincy
Randolph
Weymouth
Mental Health Consultation Services Grantees
Agency City/Town
The Home For Little Wanderers
Boston
49
Page 49
Target
Communities
Served
Boston
Brookline
Chelsea
Dorchester
Revere
Winthrop
APPENDIX D: DEMOGRAPHICS OF CHILDREN SERVED BY EEC FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
The following slides describe a total population of XXXX children.
The slides are provided for children served by vouchers and by contracts. The difference between voucher and contract is an artifact of how EEC provides financial
support to families to pursue child care services, and therefore creates a separation in EEC’s data systems. Children receive the same services regardless of funding
steam.
50
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51
Page 51
52
Page 52
53
Page 53
54
Page 54
55
Page 55
56
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APPENDIX E: EEC TRANSLATED DOCUMENTS
Document Name
SPANISH
PORTUGUESE
KHMER
TRADITIONAL
CHINESE
HAITAN
CREOLE
VIETNAMESE
TRADITIONAL
CHINESE
HAITAN
CREOLE
VIETNAMESE
x
x
WEB SITE TRANSLATION
Web Language for new site: Find Child Care (region resources);
Tips for Choosing Child Care; Help Paying for Child Care; About
Family Support Programs (and Early Intervention); Keeping Sleep
Time Safe - Infant Safety Campaign (for providers and parents);
Open a Child Care Program; Work in Child Care; Link to Spanish
Search function (Find Child Care and Other EEC Resources)
X
Document Name
SPANISH
PORTUGUESE
KHMER
DTA/EEC TA DOC
x
x
x
Financial Assistance Application
x
x
Financial Assistance Agreement
x
x
x
x
x
x
Parent's Right to a Review
x
x
x
x
x
x
Parent's Right to a Hearing
x
x
x
x
x
x
Parents: Your Center is Closed
x
x
x
x
x
x
In-home Relative Voucher
x
x
x
x
x
x
Voucher
x
x
x
x
x
x
Termination Letter
x
x
x
x
x
x
Babble Notice (translate information)
x
x
x
x
x
x
Attendance Notification Agreement
x
x
x
x
x
x
x (6)
x (6)
x (6)
x (6)
x (6)
x (6)
Reassessment Letter
x
x
x
x
x
x
Family Guide: Families Learn and Grow Together
x
x
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE DOCUMENTS
6 Documents - Resources in Each Region
Keeping Sleeptime Safe (1 for providers/1 for parents)
x (2)
x (2)
Financial Assistance TA Doc
x
x
Choosing Child Care
x
x
57
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6 Waiting List Letters (removal, renewal, confirmation, funding
availability for voucher, contract and CPC)
x (6)
x (6)
SPANISH
PORTUGUESE
KHMER
FAMILY CHILD CARE FORMS
(can be found at:
http://www.eec.state.ma.us/kr_licensing_fcc.aspx)
Inactive Letter and Telephone Disconnect letter
x
x
x
ApplicationChildCareLicensingExemption
x
x
x
FCC Application
x
x
x
FCC Payment Instruction
x
x
x
FCC AltOutdoor Play Space
x
x
x
FCC Assistant Application Checklist
x
x
x
FCC Assistants Documentation Checklist
x
x
x
FCC Authorization To Release Form
x
x
x
FCC BRC_CORI20061117
x
x
x
FCC Brochure
x
x
x
FCC Change Address Application Form
x
x
x
FCC Change Capacity Letter
x
x
x
FCC Children Record Chart
x
x
x
FCC Children Record Review Instructions
x
x
x
FCC Enrollment Packet
x
x
x
FCC Equivalent Qualifications
x
x
x
FCC Licensing Guide
x
x
x
FCC Medical Letter
x
x
x
FCC New Application Checklist
x
x
x
FCC New Appplication
x
x
x
FCC Renewal Application
x
x
x
FCC Renewal Application Checklist
x
x
x
FCC Renewal Assistance Sheet
x
x
x
FCC Sample Forms Packet
x
x
x
FCC Upgrade Application
x
x
x
Document Name
58
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TRADITIONAL
CHINESE
HAITAN
CREOLE
VIETNAMESE
Document Name
SPANISH
PORTUGUESE
KHMER
FCC Upgrade Application Checklist
x
x
x
FCC Upgrade Payment Instruction
x
x
x
FCC Variance Request Form
x
x
x
Fee Schedule
x
x
x
TRADITIONAL
CHINESE
HAITAN
CREOLE
VIETNAMESE
2009 COMPLETED PROJECTS
Market Price Survey Email
x
Market Price Survey for FCC Providers
x
One- liner (revised)
x
x
x
x
x
x
Renewal notification
x
x
x
x
x
x
Directions: update your programs SEARCH profile
x
Indicator 7 letter (EC SPED)
x
59
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APPENDIX F: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT GRANTEE ALLOCATIO NS
FY10 CCR&R ALLOCATIONS
CCR&R Professional
Development Contract
CCR&R DBA
FY10
Professional
Development
Allocation
Child Care Outlook
PET via. Subcontract with
NEFW
Franklin Community Action
Resources for Child Care
Child care of the Berkshires
$24,311.28
Child Care Resources
Children's Aid and Family Service
$31,579.12
Child Care Connection
Family Service Organization of Worcester
$39,149.90
Child Care Circuit
Community Day Care of Lawrence
Child Care Resource Center
PET
$23,461.58
$78,833.47
CCRC
$125,430.06
$29,551.35
Child Care Search
Community Team Work (CTI)
$30,464.61
Community Care For Kids
Region 4S
QCAP
$22,816.84
Home Health & Child Care
Services, Inc. Region 4S
Home Health
Community Care For Kids
Region 5
QCAP
$14,716.77
Home Health & Child Care
Services, Inc. Region 5
Home Health
$37,083.15
Child Care Network
Community Action Committee of Cape
Cod & Islands (CACCCI)
$23,748.06
Child Care Works (PACE)*
People Acting in Community Endeavors
(PACE)
$55,676.45
Child Care
Choices/Boston/ABCD
Action for Boston Community
Development (ABCD)
TOTAL
$6,586.07
$107,351.95
$650,760.66
*PACE, as the head of the CCR&R Network, received an additional $52,918.27 to support EEC’s efforts to:
1. Better coordinate professional development offerings statewide by reducing duplication among CCR&Rs and
encouraging collaboration to maximize the use of the available resources;
2. Assure that professional development resources are distributed equitably across the state, taking into account
programs in underserved geographic areas;
3. Address professional development needs that were not anticipated in the FY 2010 contract amendment.
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FY10 BUILDING CAREER GRANT ALLOCATIONS
FY2010
Building
Careers
Grant
Eligibility
Amount
(Fund
Code 250)
FY2010
Special
Education
Undergrad
Eligibility
Amount
FY2010
Special
Education
Graduate
Eligibility
Amount
FY2010
Special
Education
Maximum
Eligibility
(Fund Code
251)
Anna Maria College
$54,400
$10,950
$12,950
$23,900
Becker College
$54,400
$10,950
$12,950
$23,900
Berkshire Community College
$38,784
$7,450
Bridgewater State College
$54,400
$10,950
Bristol Community College
$38,784
$7,450
$7,450
Bunker Hill Community College
$38,784
$7,450
$7,450
Cape Cod Community College
$38,784
$7,450
$7,450
Fitchburg State College
$54,400
$10,950
Greenfield Community College
$38,784
$7,450
$7,450
Holyoke Community College
$38,784
$7,450
$7,450
Mass Bay Community College
$38,784
$7,450
$7,450
Massasoit Community College
$38,784
$7,450
$7,450
Middlesex Community College
$38,784
$7,450
$7,450
Mount Wachusett Community College
$38,784
$7,450
$7,450
North Shore Community College
$38,784
$7,450
$7,450
Northern Essex Community College
$38,784
$7,450
$7,450
Quinsigamond Community College
$38,784
$7,450
$7,450
Salem State College
$54,400
$10,950
$12,950
$23,900
University of Massachusetts Boston
$54,400
$10,950
$12,950
$23,900
Urban College of Boston
$38,784
$7,450
Worcester State College
$54,400
$10,950
College Name
TOTAL
$923,776
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$7,450
$12,950
$12,950
$23,900
$23,900
$7,450
$12,950
$23,900
$271,600
Region
FY10 PROGRAM AND PRACTIONER SUPPORTS (FUND CODE 395) FINAL GRANT ALLOCATIONS
Lead Agency
FY10 Grant Award
Amount
1
ABCD, Head Start Inc.
6
$22,629
2
ACCEPT Education Collaborative
4
$156
3
Agawam Public Schools
1
$2,722
4
Amherst Public Schools
1
$5,890
5
Ashburnham-Westminster RSD
2
$3,251
6
Ashland Public Schools
4
$1,262
7
Attleboro Public Schools
5
$5,342
8
Ayer Public Schools
2
$2,950
9
Barnstable Public Schools
5
$6,491
10
Bellingham Public Schools
2
$1,185
11
Boston Public Schools
6
$565,179
12
Bourne Public Schools
5
$2,881
13
Brimfield Public Schools
2
$4,130
14
Brockton Public Schools
5
$85,482
15
Brookline Public Schools
6
$4,985
16
Cambridge Public Schools
4
$54,870
17
Cape Cod Children's Place
5
$1,622
18
Central Berkshire RSD
1
$7,364
19
Chelsea Public Schools
6
$10,417
20
Chicopee Public Schools
1
$5,753
21
Communities United, Inc.
4
$6,668
22
Community Action, Inc.
3
$958
23
Community Day Care Center, Inc.
3
$10,200
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Region
Lead Agency
FY10 Grant Award
Amount
24
Community Teamwork Inc (for Sudbury PS)
4
$3,054
25
Community Teamwork, Inc. (B,C,D,T,W)
4
$27,039
26
Concord Children's Center
4
$6,578
27
Dennis-Yarmouth RSD
5
$5,750
28
Discovery Schoolhouse, Inc.
4
$1,316
29
Duxbury Public Schools
5
$3,765
30
Everett Public Schools
3
$5,105
31
Fairhaven Public Schools
5
$2,747
32
Fall River Public Schools
5
$18,247
33
Falmouth Public Schools
5
$13,494
34
Fitchburg Public Schools
2
$21,252
35
Framingham Public Schools
4
$15,672
36
Frontier RSD
1
$2,902
37
Greater Lawrence (Methuen)
3
$1,853
38
Hamilton-Wenham RSD
3
$165
39
Hampshire Ed Collaborative (Belchertown) w/HEC South Hadley
1
$6,679
40
Hampshire Ed Collaborative (Easthampton)
1
$4,551
41
Hampshire RSD
1
$3,747
42
Harwich Public Schools
5
$2,910
43
Haverhill Public Schools
3
$22,430
44
Holliston Public Schools
4
$3,000
45
Holyoke-Chicopee-Springfield Head Start Holyoke (lead) and Granby,Chicopee
1
$26,846
46
Hudson Public Schools
4
$1,910
47
Hull Public Schools
4
$477
48
Infant Toddler Children's Center
4
$3,996
49
Lee Public Schools (for Berkshire Hills)
1
$12,708
50
Leominster Public Schools
2
$4,490
63
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Region
Lead Agency
FY10 Grant Award
Amount
51
Lowell Public Schools
3
$51,912
52
Ludlow Public Schools w/East Longmeadow
1
$5,726
53
Lynn Public Schools
3
$94,746
54
Malden Public Schools
3
$6,454
55
Marblehead Public Schools
3
$3,360
56
Martha's Vineyard RSD
5
$5,668
57
Mashpee Public Schools
5
$1,324
58
Medfield Public Schools
4
$10,803
59
Medford Public Schools
3
$11,395
60
Milford Public Schools
2
$7,659
61
Mohawk Trail RSD
1
$4,090
62
Montachusett Opp Council (Quabbin) w/MOC Athol-Royalston and MOC Gardner
2
$10,873
63
Nantucket Public Schools
5
$5,244
64
Narragansett RSD
2
$3,914
65
Nashoba RSD
2
$3,516
66
New Salem-Wendell RSD (for Erving Elementary Schools)
1
$3,558
67
Newton Public Schools
4
$5,520
68
North Adams Public Schools
1
$8,036
69
Northampton Public Schools
1
$4,972
70
Norwood Public Schools
4
$9,563
71
Old Rochester RSD
5
$4,107
72
Orange Public Schools
1
$516
73
Oxford Public Schools
2
$3,881
74
PACE (Acushnet, Dartmouth, New Bedford)
5
$14,899
75
PACE (Berkley Freetown Lakeville)
5
$4,389
76
PACE (Dighton, Rehoboth, Seekonk, Swansea)
5
$2,722
77
Pathways for Children
3
$2,382
64
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Region
Lead Agency
FY10 Grant Award
Amount
78
Peabody Public Schools
3
$5,873
79
Pentucket Public Schools
3
$2,343
80
Pittsfield Public Schools
1
$3,279
81
Plymouth Public Schools
5
$6,132
82
QCAP Head Start (Braintree, Quincy)
4
$29,716
83
Revere Public Schools
6
$7,090
84
Roudenbush Community Center
3
$3,953
85
Salem Public Schools
3
$6,228
86
Sandwich Public Schools
5
$3,413
87
Self Help, Inc., CDS Partnership
4
$25,437
88
Self Help, Inc., HOCKOMOCK Partnership
4
$63,030
89
Self Help, Inc., SACHEM Partnership
5
$31,821
90
Self Help, Inc., SHARE Partnership
5
$42,193
91
Shrewsbury Children's Center
2
$12,431
92
SMOC Head Start
2
$983
93
Somerville Public Schools
4
$48,663
94
Southern Berkshire RSD
1
$2,477
95
Spencer Child Care Center w/ Child Works Child Care Center (Spencer)
2
$15,967
96
Springfield Public Schools
1
$107,636
97
Triton Public Schools
3
$1,191
98
Triumph, Inc.
5
$33,340
99
Uxbridge Public Schools
2
$212
100
Wakefield Public Schools
3
$18,395
101
Walpole Public Schools
4
$4,986
102
Wareham Public Schools
5
$3,578
103
Watertown Public Schools
4
$11,618
104
West Springfield Public Schools
1
$2,382
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Region
Lead Agency
FY10 Grant Award
Amount
105
Westfield Head Start
1
$3,818
106
Westfield Public Schools
1
$1,270
107
Westwood Public Schools
4
$1,382
108
Weymouth Public Schools
4
$4,865
109
Whitman-Hanson RSD
5
$29,824
110
Winchendon Public Schools
2
$1,072
111
Winchester Public Schools
4
$5,600
112
Winthrop Public Schools
6
$4,054
113
Worcester CAC (consolidated with Southbridge in FY09)
2
$6,746
114
Worcester Public Schools
2
$66,346
115
YMCA of Worcester (Circle of Friends)
2
$24,754
116
YMCA of Worcester (Together We Can)
2
$17,860
TOTAL
$1,988,257
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APPENDIX G: EEC CERTIFICATIONS
7.21: Staff Qualifications in Group Day Care Centers (http://www.eec.state.ma.us/docs/group_school_regs.pdf)
The licensee shall insure that the center is staffed by appropriate numbers of persons with experience
and/or education in the field of early childhood education.
(1) Definitions. For the purposes of staff qualifications in 102 CMR 7.21(2) the following definitions
shall apply:
(a) Alternative Early Childhood Training Program. The successful completion of a
post-secondary early childhood teacher training program, approved by the Office, which includes
both academic study of the categories in 102 CMR 7.21(3) and at least one practicum as defined
below.
(b) Early Childhood Continuing Education Unit. An Early Childhood Continuing Education Unit
(CEU) is recognition for participation in an early childhood learning program designed for staff at
day care centers. One CEU is granted for each 10 hours of instruction. CEUs must be approved by
organizations designated by the Office.
(c) Practicum. The successful completion of a minimum of 150 hours, over at least an eight week
period, of direct work with infants and toddlers or preschoolers, supervised by personnel from an
institution of higher learning or an alternative early childhood training program, with at least three
site visits, including conferencing, and placement with a lead teacher qualified staff member.
Responsibilities of the student intern shall include program planning, parent relations, and
102 CMR 7 management of the whole group for a portion of the placement. The practicum must be
with the
appropriate chronological or developmental age to qualify staff to work with the corresponding age
group. One practicum may substitute for nine months of work experience.
(d) Related Field of Study. A program at an accredited institution of higher learning which
includes the study of caregiving, development, education, health care, or psychology of children,
birth to eight years of age, or provision of direct services to children and their families.
(e) Work Experience. Experience in providing direct care and teaching during all types of
program activities to a group of children, one month to seven years of age, or special needs
children up to age 16, at least 12 hours per week, on a regular basis, in periods of at least four
weeks in one program. Work experience of less than 12 hours per week may count as follows: 50
hours of consistent work at one program is equivalent to one month of work experience. Work
experience, whether paid or unpaid, must meet the staff supervision requirements in 102 CMR
7.08(4)(d). Work experience must be in a licensed group day care center, family day care home or
equivalent program accepted by the Office.
(2) Staff Qualifications. The licensee shall employ directors, lead teachers, teachers and assistant
teachers who by prior education, training, experience and interest in fostering development and early
childhood education are qualified to meet the needs of the children enrolled, and who meet the
qualifications for their respective staff positions.
(a) Assistant Teacher. Must be at least 16 years of age or have a high school diploma or
equivalent; must work at all times under the direct supervision of at least a teacher qualified staff
person.
(b) Teacher.
1. Must be at least 21 years of age or have a high school diploma or equivalent and meet
one of the following sets of requirements:
a. Have successfully completed three credits in category Child Growth and
Development and have nine months of work experience or one practicum; or
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b. Have a Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential; or
c. Have graduated from a two-year high school vocational program in early
childhood education, approved by the Office for both the education and experience
requirements and have been evaluated and recommended by the program instructor.
2. The following education may substitute for a portion of the required work experience:
a. An Associate's or Bachelor's degree in early childhood education or a related field
of study may substitute for six months of the required experience.
b. A Bachelor's degree in an unrelated field of study may substitute for three months
of the required experience.
c. For infant-toddler teachers, one continuing education unit (10 hours of instruction)
in category Infant and Toddler Development, Care and/or Program Planning may substitute for
three months of work experience.
3. To be qualified as a preschool teacher, three months of the required work experience
must be in caregiving to preschool age children.
4. To be qualified as an infant/toddler teacher, three months of the required work
experience must be in caregiving to infant/toddlers.
(c) Lead Teacher for Infants and Toddlers.
102 CMR 7
1. Must be at least 21 years of age and meet one of the following sets of requirements for
education and experience. At least nine months of work experience or one practicum must
be with infants and toddlers. If all work experience is with infants and toddlers, the total
work experience required is reduced by _.
a. High School diploma or equivalent; and
i. 12 credits in at least four categories of study except Day Care
Administration including three credits in Child Growth and Development
and
three credits in Infant and Toddler Care; and
ii. 36 months of work experience.
b. High School diploma or equivalent; Child Development Associate (CDA)
Credential in Center-Based, Home Visitor or Family Day Care setting with
infant/toddler endorsement; and
i. three credits in the category of study of Child Growth and Development;
and
ii. 27 months of work experience.
c. Associate's degree in Early Childhood Education or a related field of study; and
i. 12 credits in at least four categories of study except Day Care
Administration including three credits in Child Growth and Development
and
three credits in Infant and Toddler Care; and
ii. 18 months of work experience.
d. Bachelor's degree in an unrelated field of study; and
i. 12 credits in at least four categories of study except Day Care
Administration including three credits in Child Growth and Development
and
three credits in Infant and Toddler Care; and
ii. 18 months of work experience.
e. Bachelor's or advanced degree in Early Childhood Education or in a related field
of study; and
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i. 12 credits in at least four categories of study except Day Care
Administration including three credits in Child Growth and Development
and three credits in Infant and Toddler Care;
ii. and nine months of work experience.
f. Alternative Early Childhood Training Program; and
i. 12 credits in at least four categories of study except Day Care
Administration including three credits in Child Growth and Development
and three credits in Infant and Toddler Care; and
ii. 27 months of work experience.
g. Department of Public Health Early Intervention Specialist Certificate.
(d) Lead Teacher for Preschoolers.
1. Must be at least 21 years of age and meet one of the following sets of requirements for
education and experience. At least nine months of work experience or one practicum must be with
preschoolers. 102 CMR 7
a. High School diploma or equivalent; and
i. 12 credits in at least four categories of study except Day Care
Administration including three credits in Child Growth and Development,
and two credits in Planning Programs, Curriculum or Classroom
management; and
ii. 36 months of work experience.
b. High School diploma or equivalent; Child Development Associate (CDA)
Credential in Center Based, Home Visitor, or Family Day Care setting with a
preschool endorsement; and
i. three credits in category Child Growth and Development; and
ii. 27 months of work experience.
c. Associate's degree in Early Childhood Education or a related field of study; and
i. 12 credits in at least four categories of study except Day Care
Administration including three credits in Child Growth and Development,
and
two credits in Planning Programs, Curriculum or Classroom management;
and
ii. 18 months of work experience.
d. Bachelor's degree in an unrelated field of study; and
i. 12 credits in at least four categories of study except Day Care
Administration including three credits in Child Growth and Development,
and
two credits in Planning Programs, Curriculum or Classroom management;
and
ii. 18 months of work experience.
e. Bachelor's or advanced degree in Early Childhood Education, K-3, Teacher of
Young Children with Special Needs Certification from the Department of Education,
or in a related field of study; and
i. 12 credits in at least four categories of study except Day Care
Administration including three credits in Child Growth and Development,
and
two credits in Planning Programs, Curriculum or Classroom management;
and
ii. nine months of work experience.
f. Alternative Early Childhood Training Program; and
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i. 12 credits in at least four categories of study except Day Care
Administration including three credits in Child Growth and Development,
and two credits in Planning Programs, Curriculum or Classroom
management; and
ii. 27 months of work experience.
g. Department of Education Pre K-3 Early Childhood Teacher Certificate.
(e) Director I must meet the requirements of lead teacher; have six months of work experience after
meeting lead teacher qualifications; have evidence of satisfactory completion of at least two credits or
three CEUs in category Day Care Administration; and have evidence of satisfactory completion of at
least two additional credits or three CEU's in any category 102 CMR 7.21(3)(a) through (k).
(f) Director II must meet all the requirements of Director I and have evidence of satisfactory
completion of an additional two credits or three CEU's in any category 102 CMR 7.21(3)(f), or 102
CMR 7.21(3)(h) through (l). 102 CMR 7
(3) Categories of Study. The requirement for a category of study must be met with credits from an
accredited institution of higher learning, alternative early childhood training program or with an Early
Childhood Continuing Education Unit (CEU). Four CEUs are equal to three credits, three CEUs are equal
to two credits. CEUs will not apply to Child Growth and Development. No more than three of the
required 12 credits for lead teacher certification may be met with CEUs.
The study of Early Childhood Education shall be categorized as follows:
(a) Child Growth and Development, Birth-Eight Years.
(b) Planning Programs and Environments for Young Children
(c) Curriculum for Early Childhood Settings
(d) Child and Classroom Management
(e) Advanced or Specialized Early Childhood Education or Development
(f) Children with Special Needs, Birth-16 years.
(g) Infant and Toddler Development, Care, and/or Program Planning
(h) Health and Safety in Early Childhood
(i) Families and Community
(j) Day Care Policy
(k) Supervision or Staff Development in Early Childhood Education
(l) Day Care Administration
EEC does not issue certificates verifying the qualifications of Family Child Care Providers or staff in School-Age
programs. For Family Child Care Providers the review of qualifications occurs during the general licensing process, but a
unique certificate is not issued. For School-Age staff a review of qualifications occurs during the licensing visit, but
unique certificates are not issued.
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