2.3 Prioritizing Services for Vulnerable Children and Families

Lead Agencies must give priority for child care assistance to children with special needs, families with very low incomes (considering family size), and children experiencing homelessness. A Lead Agency has the flexibility to prioritize other populations of children. Note: Statute defines children with disabilities, and CCDF rule gives flexibility to Lead Agencies to include vulnerable populations in their definition of children with special needs. CCDF defines “child experiencing homelessness” as a child who is homeless, as defined in Section 725 of Subtitle VII-B of the McKinney-Vento Act (42 U.S.C. 11434a). 2.3.1 Lead Agency definition of priority groups Describe how the Lead Agency defines: d. “Children with special needs.” EEC uses the Section 1A of Chapter 15D of MGL definition which states that a child with special needs is a child who, because of temporary or permanent disabilities arising from intellectual, sensory, emotional, physical, or environmental factors, or other specific learning disabilities, is or would be unable to progress effectively in a regular school program. e. “Families with very low incomes.” EEC defines families with very low incomes as those families who are at or below 50% of the State Median Income (SMI). 2.3.2 Prioritization of child care services Identify how the Lead Agency will prioritize child care services for the following children and families. a. Complete the table below to indicate how the identified populations are prioritized. Population Prioritized Prioritize for enrollment in child care services Serve without placing on waiting list Waive co- payments as described in 3.3.1 Pay higher rate for access to higher quality care Use grants or contracts to reserve spots Other Children with special needs [x] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] Describe: Families with very low incomes [x] [ ] [x] [ ] [x] [x] Describe: FY25 state regulatory changes added, priority access for families with incomes at or below 50% of State Median Income (SMI). These families are considered a priority, subject to available funding appropriations. Children experiencing homelessness, as defined by CCDF [x] [ ] [x] [ ] [x] [ ] Describe: (Optional) Families receiving TANF, those attempting to transition off TANF, and those at risk of becoming dependent on TANF [x] [x] [x] [ ] [x] [ ] Describe: a. Does the Lead Agency define any other priority groups? [ ] No. [x] Yes. If yes, identify the populations prioritized and describe how the Lead Agency prioritizes services: EEC prioritizes access to child care for several populations, including families referred by the Department of Children and Families (DCF); families experiencing domestic violence; families with a parent under the age of 24; families with a parent working in an early education and care program; families with a parent with a disability (including parents in substance use treatment and/or rehabilitation); families experiencing homelessness; and families with incomes at or below 50 percent of State Median Income (SMI). With the exception of families referred by DCF, these populations receive priority access subject to the availability of funding. Priority is applied through designated codes on the statewide waitlist, allowing families with higher levels of need to access child care assistance more quickly when funding becomes available. In addition, EEC prioritizes access for families involved with DCF, families experiencing homelessness, and parents under the age of 24 by reserving a set number of contracted child care slots with providers. Families referred by DCF typically receive near-immediate access to child care through placement in contracted slots or issuance of a voucher upon referral. Families experiencing homelessness and young parents are identified through the statewide child care waitlist or through referrals from the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities. The Child Care Financial Assistance (CCFA) screening process, administered by CCRRs, Mass211, and contracted providers, identifies families within these priority populations and ensures they are either placed into care or added to the waitlist using the appropriate prioritization process. 2.3.3 Enrollment and grace period for children experiencing homelessness Lead Agencies must allow (after an initial eligibility determination) children experiencing homelessness to receive CCDF services while required eligibility documentation is obtained. Lead Agencies must establish a grace period that allows children experiencing homelessness and children in foster care to receive CCDF assistance while providing their families with a reasonable time to take any necessary actions to comply with State, Territory, or local immunization and other health and safety requirements. The length of such a grace period must be established in consultation with the State, Territorial, or Tribal public health agency. Note: Any payment for such a child during the grace period may not be considered an error or improper payment. a. Describe the strategies to allow CCDF enrollment of children experiencing homelessness while required eligibility documentation is obtained: Verification of eligibility for families experiencing homelessness must be processed even when all documentation required to make an eligibility determination has not yet been provided. Families experiencing homelessness will receive presumptive eligibility and are issued a 12-week provisional authorization in which to provide all documentation needed to verify eligibility for child care financial assistance. If, after full documentation is provided and a family experiencing homelessness is found to be ineligible, child care financial assistance may be subject to termination. b. Describe the grace period for each population below and how it allows them to receive CCDF assistance while providing their families with a reasonable time to take any necessary actions to comply with immunization and other health and safety requirements. i. Provide the policy for a grace period for: Children experiencing homelessness: Families experiencing homelessness may be granted up to six (6) months from the date of their child's admission into a child care program to obtain the child's medical records. Children who are in foster care: DCF involved families are granted up to six (6) months from the date of their child's admission into a child care program to obtain the child's medical records. As a part of their case services, DCF then works with the child's caregiver to obtain medical records and comply with all requirements within the 6-month time period. ii. Does the Lead Agency certify that the length of the grace period was established in consultation with the State, Territorial, or Tribal public health agency? [x] Yes. [ ] No. If no, describe: c. Describe how the Lead Agency coordinates with licensing agencies and other relevant State, Territorial, Tribal, and local agencies to provide referrals and support to help families with children receiving services during a grace period comply with immunization and other health and safety requirements: EEC's licensing and Family Access and Engagement units work closely to ensure program requirements and licensing standards are met, which may include consultation and coordination between units. Family Access Administrators are then required under their contracts with EEC to provide referrals to MassHealth and other community resources to help families comply within the 6-month time period. For any families unable to comply with child health and medical records requirements due to lack of health insurance, the Program shall provide a referral to the local MassHealth Enrollment Center for the purpose of linking the family to the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). No family shall be excluded from care due to paperwork delays beyond their control