8.1 Coordination with Partners to Expand Accessibility and Continuity of Care

Lead Agencies must coordinate child care services supported by CCDF with other federal, State/Territory, and local level programs. This includes programs for the benefit of Indian children, infants and toddlers, children with disabilities, children experiencing homelessness, and children in foster care. 8.1.1 Coordination with required and optional partners Describe how the Lead Agency coordinates and the results of this coordination of the provision of child care services with the organizations and agencies to expand accessibility and continuity of care and to assist children enrolled in early childhood programs in receiving full-day services that meet the needs of working families. The Lead Agency must coordinate with the following agencies: a. State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care or similar coordinating body (pursuant to 642B(b)(I)(A)(i) of the Head Start Act). Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The state’s Board of Early Education and Care serves as the State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care in Massachusetts. The Board is required to meet 10 times per year and the Commissioner of EEC formally serves as the Secretary of the Board. EEC works closely with the Board to discuss our work in expanding access to child care services and continuity of care and to formally advance regulatory enhancements. These meetings also represent an important opportunity to share meaningful updates with the Board, stakeholders, and the general public, as well as promote increased understanding and recognition of impactful changes that EEC has made in recent years. b. Indian Tribe(s) and/or Tribal organization(s), at the option of the Tribe or Tribal organization. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination, including which Tribe(s) was (were) involved: EEC currently engages with the Aquinnah and Mashpee Wampanoag tribal organizations through an Interagency Tribal Partners working group through the MA Department of Public Health related to learning more ways in which health, human services, and education programs interface with tribes. The Head Start Collaboration Office Director is the EEC liaison on this group, with the responsibility of being a support for Native early education and care programs. EEC is hoping to establish a more direct and formalized relationship in the future. [ ] Not applicable. Check here if there are no Indian Tribes and/or Tribal organizations in the State/Territory. c. State/Territory agency(ies) responsible for programs for children with disabilities, including early intervention programs authorized under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The Department of Public Health (DPH), which sits within the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS), is the Lead Agency responsible for administering Part C of the IDEA, whereas Part B of the IDEA is administered by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), which sits within the Executive Office of Education (EOE). The Secretaries of both EOHHS and EOE serve as ex officio members of the Board of EEC, which meets a minimum of ten times annually to decide high level policy issues, including issues impacting all CCDF funded programs and services. The broad membership and regular meeting schedule of the EEC Board allows for substantial and ongoing consultation and coordination with EEC's stakeholders and key partner agencies. In addition, DESE and EEC have continued an interagency service agreement (ISA) that supports joint professional development for the early education workforce on issues related to inclusion and supporting children with special needs. EEC has also partnered with DPH's Early Intervention Services program to establish and support Regional Consultation Programs (RCPs) to assist children with disabilities by providing expertise on inclusion and effective transition practices to early education and care programs. EEC is also a participating member of DPH's Interagency Collaborating Council (ICC), which is a federally mandated statewide inter-agency group that advises and assists DPH on issues related to Early Intervention services. EEC outlines expectations in contracts with child care programs to allow services such as Early Intervention into programs for services as needed. EEC encourages providers to coordinate with the public schools and parents to allow children to return to the program after receiving services through the public schools. EEC is in the process of implementing a data sharing agreement with the DESE which will help EEC better understand the supply and demand for early education and care among children with disabilities. d. State/Territory office/director for Head Start State collaboration. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The Massachusetts Head Start Collaboration Office (HSCO) is a unit within EEC’s Family Access and Engagement Division. This allows for close collaboration with the CCDF Director, to whom the Head Start Collaboration Office Director reports. Results of this collaboration include the following: Inclusion of Head Start voice in reforms; recognition of Head Start eligibility and enrollment practices in updated protocols; and increasing access through improved coordination across the CCFA mixed delivery system. HSCO￿s placement within EEC allows for the following collaborations as well: Head Start inclusion in Community Preschool Partnership Initiative (CPPI); consideration of Head Start/Early Head Start curricula in Early Literacy/Literacy Launch; alignment between Head Start educator requirements and planning for Educator Credentialing & Certification; inclusion of Head Start/Early Head Start staff in Career Pathways initiatives and EEC scholarships; inclusion of Head Start's "grow your own" models and Apprenticeship Programs; consideration for Massachusetts’ most vulnerable children and families through Commonwealth Cares for Children (C3); alignment of approaches to supports for Continuous Quality Improvement; alignment between Office of Head Start 1303 facilities projects and EEOST facilities improvements; crosswalk of Head Start Program Performance Standards (HSPPS) and EEC Licensing Regulations; consideration of HSPPS in Child Care Licensing Regulation Revision; and identification of Head Start/Early Head Start programs in LEAD. In addition, the HSCO Director collaborates across several state agencies to achieve EEC￿s goals, including goals related to CCDF. These partnerships include units within Department of Public Health, Department of Children and Families, Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office of the Child Advocate, and Department of Mental Health and Department of Transitional Assistance. e. State/Territory agency responsible for public health, including the agency responsible for immunizations. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH), which sits within the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS), is the lead agency responsible for public health in the Commonwealth. The Secretary of EOHHS serves as an ex officio member of the Board of EEC, which meets a minimum of ten times annually to decide high level policy issues, including issues impacting all CCDF funded programs and services. The broad membership and regular meeting schedule of the EEC Board allows for substantial and ongoing consultation and coordination with EEC's stakeholders and key partner agencies. EEC immunization and health record requirements are informed by DPH guidelines. Through funding from DESE and an Interagency Service Agreement from EEC to the Department of Public Health (DPH) Regional Consultation Program (RCPs,) resources are available to families to facilitate transitions from Early Intervention to Early Education and Care Programs and to support children eligible for Special Education Services. The Pyramid Model for Supporting Social Emotional Competence in Infants and Young Children is a conceptual framework of evidence-based practices and is widely accepted as best practice in the field of early childhood. This initiative coordinates Pyramid Model efforts with the Department of Public Health (DPH), Early Intervention (EI) program, and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). f. State/Territory agency responsible for employment services/workforce development. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: EEC has been working with the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development (EOWLD) to establish registered apprenticeship models aimed at recruitment and retention of early childhood teachers. As part of this partnership, EEC is supporting the expansion of registered apprenticeships funding by EOLWD and working with the Department of Apprenticeship Standards to align requirements to EEC industry standards. In addition, EEC is planning to provide targeted resources to enhance administrative and coordination capacity at a regional level, support the development of apprenticeship programs to meet the diverse needs of the workforce, and provide flexible funding to EEC programs hosting apprentices, to accelerate the accessibility of apprenticeships and to expand on the funding provided by EOLWD. Also, the Secretary of Labor and Workforce sits on the MA Governor Healey’s Early Education and Child Care taskforce with EEC’s commissioner working towards a whole government approach to make child care more affordable and accessible. This taskforce was established in January 2024 through Executive Order 625 (https://www.mass.gov/doc/executive-order-625-establishing-an-inter-agency-task-force- on-ensuring-affordable-high-quality-child-care/download). g. State/Territory agency responsible for public education, including pre-Kindergarten. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: EEC has partnered with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) on many initiatives to set standards, support coordination between districts and EEC licensed programs, and build tools and support systems to further children's school success. Most recently, EEC has worked with teams at DESE to support ongoing collaboration between districts and EEC-licensed programs to coordinate services to expand access to preschool that is inclusive of full day, full year options for families, provides special education services across the mixed delivery system and implements aligned curriculum and joint professional development opportunities, with particular attention to building strong early language and literacy skills, social emotional skills, and helping families navigate the transition to Kindergarten. This builds on past work collaborating on the development of early learning standards and supporting out of school time programs in implementing high quality, play-based curriculum. h. State/Territory agency responsible for child care licensing. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: EEC is the child care licensing authority in Massachusetts. EEC's licensing and financial assistance units work closely to meet the agency's goals of protecting the health and safety of child care children and promoting continuity of care. For example, if EEC's licensing unit identifies a child care program with significant health and safety concerns, it will work closely with EEC's financial assistance unit to ensure any families receiving CCDF are transferred to another CCDF program with as little disruption to the family as possible. i. State/Territory agency responsible for the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and other relevant nutrition programs. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: EEC has coordinated extensively with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to grow and support the CACFP. CACFP staff visit regional EEC offices to share updates on USDA requirements and attend regional ￿Working Together’ meetings on a regular basis. CACFP staff also regularly complete visits to programs and providers and will share updates and data with EEC. In addition, CACFP provides training to EEC providers and staff. Finally, to help with continuous improvement of the program, EEC recently hosted CACFP listening sessions with Project Bread and Strategies for Children. j. McKinney-Vento State coordinators for homeless education and other agencies providing services for children experiencing homelessness and, to the extent practicable, local McKinney-Vento liaisons. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: EEC has a close relationship with the Statewide Homeless Coordinator/McKinney-Vento Coordinator at the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education through the Head Start Collaboration Office. Given the shelter crisis in Massachusetts, the McKinney-Vento Coordinator meets biweekly with EEC staff. This ensures that our homeless populations receive information about our services in a timely and respectful manner. Additionally, EEC sits on two statewide working groups comprised of local community organizations and state agencies focused on meeting the holistic needs of homeless families through improved coordination of services from access to basic needs to child care and workforce supports. Through this coordination, EEC has worked with local agencies and Coordinated Family and Community Engagement grantees to provide onsite playgroups and play spaces in hotels that serve as shelters. Lastly, EEC partners with The MA Office of the Child Advocate and MA Center for Well Being and Trauma to provide a series of training on supporting new arrival and displaced families in a trauma-informed and responsive way. k. State/Territory agency responsible for the TANF program. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: EEC regularly engages with the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA), the agency administering the state’s TANF program. This is done through biweekly meetings specific to child care for priority populations to discuss any policy or process items. Both agencies also communicate regularly to promote local collaboration between the child care resource and referral (CCRR) agencies and DTA engagement staff. This has improved the experience of the families by providing a more unified and streamlined process for our DTA involved populations. l. State/Territory agency responsible for Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: In Massachusetts, Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) are combined into one program called MassHealth. EEC is a partner in the MassHealth Children's Behavioral Health Initiative (CBHI) to ensure that children with MassHealth coverage who have significant behavioral, emotional and mental health needs and their families get the services they need for success in home, school, community, and throughout life. m. State/Territory agency responsible for mental health services. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: EEC meets with the Department of Mental Health (DMH) on a monthly basis to coordinate statewide responses to mental health needs specific to EEC populations served. EEC also collaborates with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and the Department of Public Health (DPH) to ensure information, training, and resources on social and emotional behavior are provided to the entire mixed-delivery system, which includes those working in family child care homes, center-based programs, and those that are exempt from licensing. EEC also coordinates Pyramid Model efforts with the DPH, Early Intervention (EI) program, and DESE in an effort to build cross sector, system-wide supports for early education and care programs to support the healthy social, emotional, and behavioral health of all children, and to strategically build the capacity of programs through supporting community-wide implementation, while maintaining fidelity of the Pyramid Model approach and reducing external support and coaching. n. Child care resource and referral agencies, child care consumer education organizations, and providers of early childhood education training and professional development. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: The child care resource and referrals agencies (CCRRs) are EEC partners in the administration of child care financial assistance and resource and referral information for families seeking assistance or child care related information. EEC meets weekly to biweekly with CCRRs to ensure families are receiving equitable access to early education and care assistance and resources. This includes tracking of child care referrals, applications and community resources with the goal of educating families of the availability of programs and assistance. We directly fund providers of professional development, through programs like the Professional Development Academy and Early Childhood Support Organization, and accept trainings provided by entities that are credited with Continuing Education Units (CEUs). We are also in the process of revising our approval process for other entities designing training for early education and care educators. o. Statewide afterschool network or other coordinating entity for out-of-school time care (if applicable). Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: EEC collaborates with the Massachusetts Afterschool Partnership, an organization belonging to the ￿50 Statewide Afterschool Network￿ through which we can connect with afterschool advocates across the country for best practices. EEC also collaborates with a variety of afterschool entities to support the general operation of out-of-school time care and to ensure seamless transitions between early childhood programs and afterschool care. This coordination involves creating access to Child Care Stabilization funds to support general operations, including things like personnel costs, professional development and curriculum. EEC has asked ASOST stakeholders for feedback and input on the development of credentials for their provider type, which will align curricula, staff training, and programmatic standards to maintain high-quality care. Joint training sessions and professional development opportunities are organized to ensure that caregivers and educators in both early childhood programs and afterschool care settings are equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to support children's holistic development. Children enrolled in early childhood programs benefit from smoother transitions to afterschool care, as schedules, routines, and curricula are coordinated between the two settings. Working families have greater access to full day child care services that meet their needs, as the coordination between early childhood programs and afterschool care extends the hours of available care. Finally, collaboration with statewide afterschool networks has fostered the exchange of best practices and the implementation of consistent quality standards across different care settings. p. Agency responsible for emergency management and response. Describe the coordination and results of the coordination: EEC has engaged with the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) in development of its emergency preparedness and response plan. The Executive Office of Education (EOE) or EEC designates staff from the agency to participate in MEMA's cross-agency emergency response team and works with them to ensure EEC programs are considered in all disaster response plans. q. The following are examples of optional partners a Lead Agency might coordinate with to provide services. Check which optional partners the Lead Agency coordinates with and describe the coordination and results of the coordination. i. [x] State/Territory/local agencies with Early Head Start – Child Care Partnership grants. Describe: EEC administers the Head Start State Supplemental Grant that supports all Head Start/Early Head Start (EHS) programs, including EHS-Child Care Partnerships programs. Additionally, in August 2024 the MA Head Start Collaboration Office (HSCO; housed within EEC) liaised with Head Start recipients to better understand the relationships between Head Start recipients and their community-based Head Start Child Care Partners, including Early Head Start-Child Care Partners. HSCO collected Head Start Child Care Partner program numbers, which allowed for the identification of Head Start Child Care Partner programs within LEAD. Identifying EHS-CCP and other Head Start Child Care Partner programs allows EEC and HSCO to disaggregate licensing data and better understand Head Start’s partnerships with community-based child care programs within cities/towns, regions, and across the Commonwealth. It also allows EEC to consider Head Start funded seats within Head Start Child Care Partner programs for the purposes of grants such as Commonwealth Cares for Children (C3). ii. [x] State/Territory institutions for higher education, including community colleges. Describe: EEC, in partnership with the Department of Higher Education, has worked closely to support access to scholarships funding for educators currently working in early education and out of school time programming. We have worked closely to ensure that scholarship funds are accessible and support degrees most closely relevant for those working in early education and out of school time programs. In addition this partnership has allowed EEC to improve outreach strategies and to explore opportunities to support students who are also parents as they continued their education. iii. [ ] Other federal, State, local, and/or private agencies providing early childhood and school-age/youth-serving developmental services. Describe: iv. [x] State/Territory agency responsible for implementing the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) programs grant. Describe: HSCO partners with MIECHV to ensure coordination and collaboration. EEC’s HSCO Director meets with the MIECHV Director monthly to ensure open communication about programs whose children are served by both organizations, especially those serving children living in shelters and children experiencing homelessness. v. [ ] Agency responsible for Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment Program. Describe: vi. [x] State/Territory agency responsible for child welfare. Describe: EEC serves children involved with the Department of Children and Families (DCF) as part of an entitlement program funded through the Massachusetts state budget. This program is administered through EEC contracts (grants) and vouchers specifically for DCF-involved families. Through contracts, EEC reserves space and sets requirements for the child care and support services provided to DCF-involved families. EEC provides enrollment information to DCF on a biweekly basis and meets biweekly with DCF to ensure alignment on supports for DCF-involved families, facilitate access, and manage contracts for providers that serve DCF- involved families. EEC also develops policies in conjunction with DCF and troubleshoots issues that could impact access for DCF-involved families. EEC also coordinates between contracted providers, CCRRs, and DCF to promote a positive experience for DCF-involved families. The newly hired EEC Priority Access Manager facilitates these conversations and works with their team of regional access specialists to provide a local focus on contracts and strengthening the partnership between EEC, DCF, contracted providers, and CCRRs. EEC works with state, regional and local DCF child care coordinators who share information with DCF case managers that distribute information directly to families that need help accessing care. This coordination has increased enrollment of DCF-involved families, improved service coordination and minimize disruptions to care for DCF- involved families . vii. [x] Child care provider groups or associations. Describe: EEC engages with various provider groups and associations regularly, as the agency’s Advisory and Workforce Councils are primarily comprised of representatives from various provider groups, associations, and other stakeholder populations. The Massachusetts Head Start Collaboration Office Director meets on a monthly basis with directors and staff from Head Start/Early Head Start programs through the Massachusetts Head Start Association (MHSA). The HSCO Director also meets weekly with the Executive Director of MHSA to ensure open communication and partnership. These efforts have improved the relationship between EEC and the field, promoting an environment of partnership that has led to a state-wide approach for large-scale changes at EEC in recent years. One example is the work to improve child care financial assistance policies in response to pain-points identified by providers and systems in the field. EEC took a collaborative approach to updating policies which has led to changes that both EEC and the field support. Another example is the work that EEC has done in collaboration with Massachusetts Head Start to: consider Head Start educator requirements in planning for Educator Credentialing & Certification; include of Head Start/Early Head Start staff in Career Pathways initiatives and EEC scholarships; include Head Start's "grow your own" models in Apprenticeship Programs; and crosswalk Head Start Program Performance Standards (HSPPS) and EEC Licensing Regulations. viii. [x] Parent groups or organizations. Describe: EEC recently hired its first Family Engagement manager who is developing a statewide strategy for family engagement and will lead all efforts related to engaging families including launching EEC's first parent council which is inclusive of connecting with parent groups . ix. [ ] Title IV B 21st Century Community Learning Center Coordinators. Describe: x. [ ] Other. Describe: