Background Information Access Management

1. Child Care Resource and Referral and Voucher Management Board of Early Education and CareNovember 9, 2009

2. Background Information Access Management • The voucher program provides financial assistance to more than 34,000 children from birth to age 13 (age 16 for children with special needs) • Vouchers provide families with access to the entire mixed system of providers. • Vouchers are “portable” and travel with the child. • Recent changes related to “9c” budget cuts reduced funding for access management from $9.69 million to $6.35 million dollars

3. Access Management Re-Procurement Goals • Comply with state procurement laws • Make policies and practices equitable • Support all families in accessing information, referral and quality child and out of school time care. • Streamline system to better support families who may qualify for financial assistance • Improve the efficiency of voucher system • Ensure equitable access statewide

4. Highlights of Proposed Re-Procurement In its design, EEC has identified three levels of services integral to an Voucher Management and CCR&R System. EEC may purchase all three levels, or may purchase an administrative function and/or other functions as funding allows. Level One: Voucher Management Administration Level Two: Information and Referral Level Three: Consumer Education Services

5. Level One: Voucher Management AdministrationThis is the Core Level of Services and will include: • Initialeligibility visits and determinations for all families who qualify for a voucher. • Re-assessmentand change of status visits and determinations for • families who are serviced through a partnership with Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) and the Department of Children and Families (DCF) • families who may continue to qualify for a voucher • families who have had a change in finances or activity. • Recoupment of funds in conjunction with EEC. • Billing and management of above functions.

6. Current Voucher Process (as of December 1, 2009)

7. Current Voucher Process (cont.)

8. Current Billing Process

9. Level Two: Information and Referral • High quality information for all parents and families in Massachusetts about child care options • Maintaining NACCRAProvider Database

10. Level Three: Consumer Education • Identifyeach families need for early education and care services and refer accordingly • NACCRA Quality Assurance process • QRISEducation

11. Voucher Management EntitiesCurrent Status • 12 CCR&Rs • hold 14 contracts for voucher management throughout the state • two agencies hold contracts in more than one region • 1 additional CCR&R • receives funding for information and referral services, but does not manage vouchers in their region

12. Voucher Management EntitiesRe-Procurement • Entities must include a plan to ensure access statewide or a portion therein. • Plan may or may not be regionalized. FY09 Regional Case Management

13. Recommendation: Coordinating NetworkEntities must show how they will work together to: • Develop local CCR&R best practices and standards • Provide training and support for partner CCR&R staff • Offer statewide child care consumer education and referrals for families • Collect, analyze, and report data from local CCR&Rs and other sources • Build child care supply and quality • Manage special project grants

14. Funding Allocations Currently, the amount of funding CCR&Rs are expected to receive in FY10 for voucher management is $6.35 Million (post 9C). • The formula at the time of the last procurement in 1998 was comprised of the following seven categories and weighting system:

15. Funding Allocations Recommended Formula Elements for 2011 Procurement Funding will be based on total available funding and allocation elements listed above.

16. Procurement Timeline