FY2010 and FY2011 Update Board of Early Education and Care June 8, 2010

Table of Contents I. FY10 Budget Update Spending Update Supplemental Budget Signed by Governor II. FY11 Budget Process Update Senate FY11 Recommendations Senate Budget Impacts III. Next Step: Conference 2

*FY10 Budget Update Spending 3 *As of June 4, 2010

On May 21 st, the Governor signed a supplemental budget (Chapter 112 of the Acts of 2010). Sections 37 and 38 expand transferability from the income Eligible account and DTA-Related account. Prior to passage, EEC was limited to transfer a maximum of 3% from Income Eligible account to the DTA account and provide a 30 day notice to the legislature prior to any transfer. With the passage of Chapter 112, EEC can transfer up to 10% ($26M) and need only to provide a 15 day notice to the legislature. This flexibility allows EEC to cover the full $25M deficiency in the DTA and Supportive accounts and ensure that providers do not have to wait for payment of bill. We have requested the transfer already. We will be able to transfer funds on June FY2010 Budget Update: Governor Signs a Supplemental Budget

FY11 Budget Process Update: Senate FY11 Recommendation 5 The Senate adopted an amendment to increase the Income Eligible line item to nearly match the House appropriation level.

FY11 Budget Process Update: Senate Budget Impact For the most part the Senate matched the Governor and House FY11 budget recommendations. The Admin account and the Mental Health account, however, were reduced lower than the House recommended level. Administration: Appropriation would force administrative reductions and potentially force a staff reduction of 6 positions. Access Management: Recommends the Governor’s and House’s FY11 level, but does not include House language that mandates CCR&Rs manage the waitlist. Supportive: Though funded at requested maintenance, the maintenance number was submitted prior to the new Supportive Priority Population RFP; therefore this account may have a deficiency. DTA Related Child Care: Like the House, the Senate recommendation could have a $6M deficit from projected FY11 need. At this level we estimate that we will run out of funds after May, 2011 billing. Income Eligible: Like the House, Senate funding level enables us to support the over 4,500 kids for whom we opened access in February and March and the homeless slots planned. Quality Supports: Senate did not include funding for the LPC Supplemental Service grant ($1.3M) as did the House. Senate, however, did include permissive language in this item allowing EEC to fund the grant from Quality Supports. Mental Health: A reduction in this account results in a reduced ability to build relationships between pre-k and public schools. In particular, a reduction results in fewer grants supporting crisis assistance provided to children in need of services and the inability to offer a statewide system to address the expulsion of preschoolers required by legislation. 6

The Next Step: Conference Administrative Account Appropriation: House: $11,785,583 - Limited flexibility and potential staff reductions. Senate: $11,622,212 - Severe administrative restrictions and potential staff reduction of 6 personnel. Senate budget does not include funding for the CBA they passed a few months ago. This unfunded mandate,on top of other increasing cost, make it unlikely that EEC could maintain existing staff levels. Recommendation: Support House level - Overall, the House recommendation of $11.78M would enable EEC to come closer to maintaining services and support collective bargaining costs and other liabilities in FY11. The Senate recommendation would force severe reductions in the department which has already seen its FTE levels drop from 178 to 161 (9.6%) since FY09. EEC therefore requests that the conferees accept the House’s recommendation of $11.78M. Language: House: Basic boilerplate language, but also includes reporting language for caseload and average costs. Senate: Senate does not include this specific reporting language but adds language that would require a report due by September 10 on cost- efficiencies EEC has gained since FY2010. Recommendation: Compromise Language - The Department requests that both reporting requirements not be included in the FY2011 Conference Report. 7

The Next Step: Conference Access Management Appropriation: Not in Conference House and Senate: $5,933,862= Fully funds anticipated FY11 cost. Language: The House added language that would reverse progress made when EEC, in response to the single-state audit, re-bid the Access Management contract. The Department requests that the House language (“and provided further that voucher management, information and referral, and enhanced consumer education shall be provided by the same agency” ) for the Access Management account is not included in the Conference Report. Recommendation : Senate Language. The House added language that would reverse progress made when EEC, in response to the single-state audit, re-bid the Access Management contract. 8

The Next Step: Conference Supportive Account Appropriation: House: $89,786,814 - Fully funds anticipated FY11 cost. Senate: $85,713,747 - The Senate amount was the original maintenance EEC request prior to priority population being amended. This initiative added an additional $2.4M to the Supportive account. The Senate level would result in a deficiency (probably after May billing has been processed in June of 2011). The Department requests that the House funding level recommendation for prevails in Conference. Recommendation: House - The House appropriation supports anticipated FY11 costs. Language: Both House and Senate recommend the 6 month transitional language that EEC requested. The only difference to be decided is that Senate only requires a 15 day notice if money is to be transferred to this account in FY11 and the House requires a 30 day notice. Recommendation: Senate Language - The 15 day notification window enables EEC to ensure timely payments to providers should a transfer be necessary at the end of FY11. 9

The Next Step: Conference Quality Supports Account Appropriation: House: $15,390,639. This level would fully support anticipated FY11 expenditures, including the $1.3M LPC Supplemental Service grant transferred from the Income Eligible. Senate: $14,032,568. This funding level would not allow EEC to support the $1.3M LPC: Supplemental Service grant currently paid from the Income Eligible account but transferred to this account in FY11. Recommendation: Support House level. A reduction will be required in the Community Family Engagement activities if the House level is not secured. Language: The only difference between the two versions is that the Senate includes permissive language that authorizes EEC to fund the LPC” Supplemental Service grant from this item in FY11. Recommendation: Senate’s language is permissive and allows EEC the flexibility to fund this item. 10

The Next Step: Conference Mental Health Account Appropriation: House: $1,000,000 - Provides maintenance funding enabling the 10 grantees of this account to receive the same levels of support in FY Senate: $750,000 - A reduction in this account results in a reduced ability to build relationships between pre-k and public schools and will lead to a reduction in the number of towns served as well as the ability to reach and engage hard to reach families. In particular, a reduction results in fewer grants supporting crisis assistance provided to children in need of services and the inability to offer a statewide system to address the expulsion of preschoolers required by legislation. Recommendation: Support House level. Language: Not in conference. 11

The Next Step: Conference Accounts not in Discussion The following accounts are not in conference, or have only minor differences within language that must be settled in conference committee: DTA-Related: Both House and Senate recommend $127M and have similar budget language Income Eligible: House recommends $233.6M in FY11 and Senate proposed $ (or $74K less than needed), which should be enough to annualize the original 4,500 children EEC opened access for beginning in February of Head Start: Both the Senate and the House recommend funding Head Start at $8M UPK: Both the Senate and the House recommend funding UPK at $8M : Family Engagements: Both the Senate and the House recommend funding UPK at $5M. We have prepared a letter to be sent to Conference Conferees and will send this letter once we have secured EOE approval. 12

The Next Step: Conference Conferees On Monday, June 7 the House and Senate Conferees were announced: House: Chairman Charles Murphy (D-Burlington) Representative Barbara L’Italien, Vice- Chairwoman (D-Andover) Rep. Robert Hargraves (R-Groton) Senate: Chairman Steven Panagiotakos (D-Lowell) Senator Stephen Brewer, Vice-Chair (D-Barre) Senator Michael Knapik (R-Westfield) 13