Finance: Three Proposals for ARRA Funding to Increase Access to Financial Assistance for Early Education and Care December 8, 2009

Continuation of Summer Learning Promotion Voucher Initiative for School Age Children Summer 2010

Early Education and Care System Components: Summer Learning Vouchers Early Education and Care and K-12 Linkages (FS, C, I, WF) Standards, Assessment and Accountability (Q, FS,WF) Finance (Q, FS, WF, I) EEC Strategic Directions: Q = Quality FS = Family support, access, and affordability WF = Workforce C = Communications I = Infrastructure 3

4 Summer Only Voucher Extension Proposal Extend the period for using the $2.25 million of CCDBG ARRA Funds appropriated for “Summer Only” child care financial assistance in fiscal year 2010, through fiscal year 2011 to continue the initiative in summer The initiative helps low income working families retain jobs by providing up to full time school age child care/summer camp access during the summer months, a period in which many families struggle to find full time care for their school age children. This initiative also supports addressing the summer learning lost experienced by many low income children, by providing quality experiences

Background EEC subsidizes care for 21,000 school age children across the state. Currently an estimated 22,000 children across the state are on the waiting list for an EEC subsidy for child care. Of these, 7,748 are school age children. October, 2009 data 5

2009 Summer Only Initiative Data In summer 2009, ARRA funds supported 774 school age children (of which 701 were billed) in 271 school age summer programs across the state through this initiative. Total expenditures: $636,000 6

Summer Only Voucher Priorities The Summer Only Voucher Initiative: 2010 would continue to be subject to the following policy objectives: Children attending Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (ESE) “Commissioner’s Districts” Ten districts: Boston, Brockton, Fall River, Holyoke, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn, New Bedford, Springfield, and Worcester Children whose siblings are already enrolled/receiving child care financial assistance from EEC If on June 1, 2010 EEC has not filled the maximum number of placements through these priority considerations, it will open enrollment to all eligible children on the waitlist.

8 Eligibility Program Eligibility: To be eligible to accept these vouchers, the summer-only programs must agree to provide a specific program component or focus that addresses summer learning loss. Family Eligibility: To be eligible to receive a Summer Learning Promotion Voucher families must be working or participating in education or job training.

9 Implementation Voucher Allocations: $1,613,285 total available funding An estimated 796 children can be served in summer 2010 with the use of $1,478,285 (average cost of voucher is $1,857) EEC proposes dedicating $135,000 of the ~$1.6M for CCR&R agencies to administer this access initiative (based on 3 months; to be allocated by numbers of vouchers each will manage) Period: Enrollment to occur in April, May and June 2010 Start beginning June 14, 2010* End by September 3, 2010 Eligible families would sign a voucher that stipulates the one-time nature of the ARRA funding and underscores that the voucher will expire in September 2010

Proposal for Consideration Allocation of up to $1,613,285 ($1,478,285 for vouchers + $135,000 to supplement the administration of these vouchers) of ARRA funding to extend the summer learning promotion voucher initiative for school age children through fiscal year 2011 (summer of 2010). 10

Eight Week Summer Kindergarten Entry Enrichment Program

Early Education and Care System Components: Kindergarten Entry Early Education and Care and K-12 Linkages (FS, C, I, WF) Informed Families and Public (FS, C, I) Finance (Q, FS, WF, I) EEC Strategic Directions: Q = Quality FS = Family support, access, and affordability WF = Workforce C = Communications I = Infrastructure 12

Context and Proposal Need: In order to eliminate the achievement gap in kindergarten through grade twelve, efforts must be made to address the school readiness gap; the difference in the breadth or depth of knowledge, language or vocabulary, and social skills of children entering kindergarten. Proposal: EEC proposes investing $4.1 million of ARRA funds to support an eight week Kindergarten Entry Enrichment Program during the summers of 2010 and 2011 for preschool children entering kindergarten who have not previously had access to high quality early education and care. Funds will be made available to high quality programs in the mixed-delivery system of Head Start, private center-based programs, public and private school programs, and independent and system-affiliated family child care providers meeting the criteria of the program. Restricted to income eligible contracted programs who are pre-qualified /screened to provide a Kindergarten Entry Enrichment Program. In limited instances, EEC may consider providing vouchers if a contracted program is not available in a geographic area, however those programs also will be required to go through a prescreening process. 13

Eligible Applicants, Program Quality and Target Population Eligible Applicants EEC contracted programs and family child care systems Must meet QRIS level 3 requirements (inclusive of levels 1 and 2) Target Population Four and five year old children on EEC’s income eligible waiting list, which is estimated at 2,100 children each year Contracted providers shall first seek children from the wait list, however if additional slots are available providers shall outreach to communities to place on the wait list other income eligible children not on the waiting list and will use these families to establish the program 14

Program Requirements for Participation Full day services 8 weeks, 5 days per week, up to 10 hours per day Public school partnership Specific relationships and formal agreements for alignment, transitions, engagement of families Class size children per classroom (estimated 70 classrooms to participate in the program) Teacher qualifications Classrooms must have 2 teachers (at least one Bachelor’s degree teacher preferred) FCC providers may have CDA if supervised by staff with Bachelor’s degree or higher (master’s preferred) Support for English language learners (ELL) must be evident (e.g. having a staff person available who speaks the native language of all ELL’s) 15

Program Requirements for Participation, Continued Supervision Teachers/providers must be supervised by staff with a Bachelor’s degree or higher (Master’s level preferred) Program staff must be able to illustrate how they will provide reflective and ongoing supervision to educators Intentionality Programs must be able to outline a plan of how they intend to use the 8 week as an effective Kindergarten Entry Enrichment Program Particular focus must be given to engagement of families, curricula, assessment, support of English language learners and students with special needs, and alignment with the local public school system. Assessment and Evaluation Programs must use an EEC-approved child assessment system to assess children’s developmental progress during the intervention and use data to inform and individualize instruction Programs must agree to administer whole child assessments (specific battery to be determined) for the purpose of providing aggregate-level data to EEC and informing implementation of a statewide assessment measure 16

Discussion Points Identified by the Program & Policy Board Subcommittee Consider what groups of providers should be eligible to provide the program services Identify what population of children preparing to enter kindergarten will be served and if any priorities should be set within that group Consider if a minimum number of hours of services per day must be provided and if there should be variations allowed in number of hours offered Discuss if children attending part year programs should be eligible to participate since they will be out of care during summer months 17

Proposal for Consideration Allocation of up to $4.1 of ARRA funding to support an eight week Kindergarten Entry Enrichment Program for up to 1,100 children per year during the summers of 2010 and 2011 for preschool children entering kindergarten who have not previously had access to high quality early education and care. Funds will be distributed through a procurement for contract slots with a quality add-on. 18

Increasing Access to Financial Assistance for 18 Months for Select Populations

Early Education and Care System Components: I/T and PK 18 mo Access Finance (Q, FS, WF, I) EEC Strategic Directions: Q = Quality FS = Family support, access, and affordability WF = Workforce C = Communications I = Infrastructure 20

Opening Access for Infant/Toddlers and Preschoolers Background Information and Options The $8.1M proposal for preschool children aging- up, which was approved by the Board in September, may not be approved by ANF for ARRA funding; at this time due to attrition we believe we can pay for the preschoolers who aged up with the funds from the income eligible line item. EEC proposes to reallocate the $8.1M and add an additional $3.9M for a total of $12.2M to open access for infant/toddlers and preschoolers select populations on the waiting list for an 18-month period (March September 2011). 21

Proposal for Consideration Allocation of up to $12.2M of ARRA funding to support either: Option One: Financial assistance ($12.065M) for early education and care for ~877 preschool children from the waitlist. or Option Two: Financial assistance ($12.065M) for early education and care for ~316 infant/toddlers (~$6.1M) and ~433 preschoolers (~$6.1M) from the waitlist. EEC proposes dedicating an additional $135,000 of the $12.2M for CCR&R agencies to supplement the administer of this voucher based access initiative (based on 3 months; to be allocated by numbers of vouchers each will manage). 22

Prioritization In either proposal, priority would first be given to the 672 infants and toddlers and 127 preschoolers on the waitlist who already have siblings in care; Addressing Funding “Cliff” Concerns Preschoolers: Most of these children would enter kindergarten. Infant/Toddlers: EEC hopes to utilize attrition savings to support the full year continuation costs of these children ($3.3M) in FY2012 (for 10 months; 10/1/ /30/12) as ARRA funding would end on September 30, 2011). If option two is selected, it is recommended that the proposal sent to EOE and ANF for approval includes additional language that indicates that although the recommendation is to fund both infant/toddlers and preschoolers, if interested in limiting the respective funding “cliff” it is the preference that option one is considered for the full funding of the proposal. 23 Opening Access for Infant/Toddlers and Preschoolers Additional Information