RECAP of the October EEC Board Meeting: Child Care Licensing, Educator Credentialing, and Capital Grants

At Neighborhood Villages, we prioritize keeping up with the policy landscape in the early education and care field, both across the country and in Massachusetts. That includes tuning-in to the monthly meetings of the Massachusetts Board of Early Education and Care (“EEC Board”), to stay apprised of updates and to identify opportunities for how we can work with government and other stakeholders to improve our early education and care system.

The primary topics of this month’s Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) Board meeting were: (1) an overview of the current regulations governing the licensing of child care providers and EEC’s plan to revise them; (2) an update on the status of an educator credentialing system; and (3) a preview of forthcoming proposed changes to how EEC awards grants to providers for capital improvements. Here’s what you need to know…

If You Are a Provider:

1. The EEC Board heard public testimony from Michelle Haimowitz of the Massachusetts Head Start Association, regarding the need to reduce duplication in licensing requirements between the federal and state government. The Board also heard public comment from representatives of the Clarendon Early Education Services, Inc., a Family Child Care (FCC) system, who urged a review of child care licensing. 

2. EEC is proposing to make regulatory revisions to the licensing of early education and out-of-school time programs; the last revision took place in 2010. The goals of the revisions are to:

• Ensure room for innovation to support the future needs of programs and families

• Enable the use of new technology

• Reduce bureaucratic burden

• Improve alignment across EEC regulatory frameworks

• Ensure resources are available in multiple languages 

The areas of reform are:

• Separating licensing regulations for FCC providers and Center-based care, and tailoring them for each setting

• Ensuring regulations are observable, measurable, and verifiable

• Considering new and alternative program models to ensure accessible pathways to licensure for all programs

• Clarifying teacher qualification requirements and improving alignment with educator credentialing

• Promoting quality and ongoing improvement

• Simplifying regulatory standards

This process of revision will involve significant stakeholder engagement, including building internal and external working groups (November 2023), hosting information sessions for providers and stakeholders (January 2023), and opening up for public comment (October 2024).

      3. EEC will continue to offer smaller grants for capital improvement projects. The Department requires Board approval to amend regulations in order to do so. EEC partners with Children’s Investment Fund, an affiliate of the Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation (CEDAC) to administer Early Education and Out-of-School Time (EEOST) capital grants to providers to make improvements to early education and care facilities. Governor Healey authorized additional funding for this program this year (from $6M to $10M). EEOST is limited to center-based programs that are non-profit and serve 50% or more children with financial assistance. While historically these grants have been a minimum of $500,000, in FY21-23, EEC amended regulations to allow for smaller EEOST grants in the $100K-$500K range. In order for EEC to continue offering smaller grants, it requires additional amendment of EEOST regulations and action by the Board. EEC will seek Board approval for amendments on November 8th, then open them to public comment from November 9-December 5th, and seek final approval of new language on December 13th.

The final FY24 budget also included a separate $15M in capital funding that is not subject to the same regulatory requirements as EEOST. The $15M has greater flexibility and will allow capital grants for FCCs and for-profit providers that serve children with financial assistance. 

If You Are An Educator:

1. EEC is undertaking a process to review and update the credential system that outlines requirements for educators in child child care and OST programs. Any changes will largely impact new educators to the system and the goal is to simplify educator requirements. Current educator qualifications are situated in program regulations. These regulations:

• Outline the minimum hiring requirements for serving in particular roles in a program staffing structure.

1. Minimum hiring requirements are distinct for those in center-based care, vs. those in FCCs, vs. those in out-of-school time programs: FCC expectations are based predominantly on experience, while center-based expectations are focused on experience and the completion of certain credit-bearing and college courses that are relevant to work in the field. 

• State that postsecondary degrees can be substituted for experience, but not for the specific courses required. 

• Afford little ability for EEC to be flexible in response to needs of the field.

• Set staffing expectations regarding how many educators with certain qualifications have to be present for a given number of children in care at various ages.

EEC would like to modify the credentialing system so that:

• Rather than having different requirements for educators by program type, there is one system for all program types

• Requirements are moved from regulations to policy, which gives EEC more flexibility to address needs of the field

• Rather than an emphasis on years of experience and isolated courses, more weight is given to educator investment in degrees and ongoing professional development while working

• There are flexible pathways to advancement

• Professional skills are defined for novice to expert roles

• The system supports flexible program staffing

• Educators receive documentation of a credential level

EEC shared a draft of proposed future credential levels, which includes four levels of credentials. They shared that current roles across different program types do have a home in the proposed new system and any educator who is currently qualified to serve in a particular role will have a place in the new system that does not require re-applying. The certifications and qualifications already gained will be recognized in the new credential. 

Finally, EEC is being supported by the American Institutes for Research (AIR) to identify steps to move to a future credentialing system. They are developing and refining NAEYC-aligned competencies, gathering insights from other states, identifying gaps in higher education, and drafting credential levels. They plan to engage stakeholders in November and provide a draft in December.        

If You are a Child Care Advocate:

1. EEC licensed 736 new providers, including FCCs and center-based, in 2022; to-date EEC has licensed 647 new providers in 2023.