Income Eligible Procurement February - 2008 1
EEC Guiding Principles Put children and family first Be flexible and accountable Balance access, affordability, quality, and coordination/continuity of care Prioritize the needs of low-income families Build on strengths of current system; minimize weaknesses; maximize resources Seek input from staff and stakeholders Keep interested parties informed of progress Provide timely and comprehensive information to Board for decision-making 2
Income Eligible Procurement Goals Comply with state procurement laws Make policies and practices more equitable Ensure consistent and stable placements Support provider stability Target expansion to highest need areas Encourage quality programming 3 Continue building a thriving system.
Income Eligible Procurement - 2008 What s Not Changing Procure contracts for specific age groups Allow providers to continue to serve current families regardless of EEC funding stream Allow eligible families to continue current placement regardless of EEC funding stream Maintain contract award allocations by region and community 4
Community Research Summary of Analysis Conducted EEC has analyzed the following data for more than 350 communities across three age groups: Children below federal poverty level and children on the waiting list Capacity for 12,000 licensed providers and more than 450 school-based programs Subsidized capacity across five funding sources including contracts, vouchers, CPC, Head Start and school-based preschool Accountability status of schools in each community Compared relative need in each community with existing subsidized capacity 5
Community Research Results of Analysis Contracts are equitably distributed across regions Contracts are in communities with the highest need We are already in communities with highest need, and we know that we need to do more in those communities. 6
Income Eligible Procurement - 2008 Highlights of Proposed Key Changes Provide vouchers to maintain placements if contract award is reallocated elsewhere Phase in simplified single on-line billing and payment system for EEC contracts and vouchers Reconcile hours of care families are eligible for across contracts and vouchers Provide consistent provider reimbursement policies across contracts and vouchers Use waiting list, capacity (licensed and subsidized), population, and poverty data to identify highest need areas for expansion IF applicant pool exceeds available funding, use quality criteria as part of selection process 7
Additional Issues Being Considered Requiring More Time for Policy Development Enter into direct contracts with independent family child care providers? Separate family child care system contracts into two parts: direct services and quality supports? Need to balance mix of contract, grant, and voucher funding for individual provider stability and parent choice? 8
Implementation Plan & Timeline Further Considerations Balance timeline with procurement project goals Integrate with development of strategic plan Coordinate time and resource demands of procurement with other major projects e.g., IT strategic plan, new regulations, UPK, and Quality Rating System Implement new contracts during the time of year most optimal for providers and families 9
Proposed Procurement Milestones Discuss Procurement Milestones Feb 2008 Post RFI & Analyze Results April - May Discuss Policy Changes with Board April - June Finalize Policy Changes July - Aug Present RFR to Board & Vote Sept - Oct Develop & Post RFR Oct - Nov Providers Submit RFR Responses Jan 2009 Analyze RFR Responses Feb - Apr Announce RFR Awards May Implement Contracts Sept 10
Strategic System Building Through Multiple Funding Streams Need to balance mix of contract, grant, and voucher funding for individual provider stability and parent choice? Supporting Program Excellence Vouchers Contracts Grants To Maximize Provider Quality & Stability + + + Increasing Parent Access & Affordability To Improve Access to Quality + + + Building a Thriving State System To Achieve the Best Outcomes for All + + + Assumes that the Voucher process is streamlined to minimize provider workload and payment delay 11