Overview
EEC did not implement any of the fiscal years 2021 and 2022 inclusivity recommendations from the Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Youth. These five recommendations aimed to enhance support and promote inclusivity by fostering safe spaces, affirming identities, and providing tailored resources for LGBTQ youth and their families. As previously mentioned, some of the recommendations made in the fiscal year 2021 and 2022 reports have been in the annual reports since fiscal year 2018.
The incomplete implementation of these recommendations limits the effectiveness of EEC’s efforts to ensure a fully inclusive and supportive environment for LGBTQ youth and families in its programs.
Authoritative Guidance
According to the Department of Early Education and Care section of the Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Youth’s [Fiscal Year 2021] Report and Recommendations, EEC should do the following:
- Develop an online training module on best practices for serving LGBTQ youth and families, developed on Articulate 360 for incorporation into [EEC's] new Learning Management System and tied to [EEC's] Core Knowledge and Competencies for early educators.
- Clarify that [programs or] providers can and should house transgender youth based on their gender identity.
- Share information about LGBTQ-affirming residential placements with the Department of Children and Families (DCF).
- Continue to collaborate with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and other state agencies on the Statewide Family Engagement Framework (prenatal through post-secondary) to ensure that LGBTQ content and family diversity are well-represented.
- Include a nonbinary gender marker option during development of the new Professional Qualifications Registry database.
Reasons for Not Implementing Recommendations
EEC told us that former administrators had previously prioritized other initiatives and did not have a plan to place to implement the recommendations from the Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Youth during the audit period.
Recommendation
EEC should implement the inclusivity recommendations from the Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Youth.
Auditee’s Response
EEC’s current administration is committed to inclusion related to LGBTQ Youth. EEC hired its first Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in FY2024. Additionally, over the past two years, EEC has made and continues to make progress on these goals. EEC is working closely with the LGBTQ Youth Commission and with Safe Schools to offer training in support of LGBTQ+ children and youth to EEC staff in FY2025. Resources are allocated for an FY2025 rollout of an online training module on best practices for supporting LGBTQ+ children, youth, and families in the StrongStart LMS. EEC is adapting Safe Schools content for this purpose. EEC also continues to work closely with partners at the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) around adoption of the Statewide Family Engagement Framework in addition to development of the online training model. For example, Coordinated Family and Community Engagement (CFCE) grantees have been trained on use of the Framework, and the newly formed Family Access and Engagement Division has made the Framework a cornerstone of new child care financial assistance policy, which rolled out in FY2025. As EEC improves its public-facing online applications, a nonbinary gender marker option has been added to all online software applications. EEC relies on DCF to ensure that all residential placements are LGBTQ-affirming. However, EEC’s residential and placement team is also in the process of drafting updated regulations, which will include language about housing transgender/nonbinary youth based on their gender identity.
Auditor’s Reply
While we are encouraged by EEC’s proposed initiatives planned for fiscal years 2024 and 2025, the lack of implementation during the audit period limited EEC’s effectiveness in ensuring a fully inclusive and supportive environment for LGBTQ youth and families in its programs. The Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Youth’s recommendations are critical for fostering safe and affirming spaces.
In its response, EEC stated it relies on DCF “to ensure that all residential placements are LGBTQ-affirming.” However, as the licensing authority, EEC ultimately bears the responsibility for ensuring that all programs under its purview actively support and affirm LGBTQ youth. The ongoing drafting of updated regulations including language about housing transgender and nonbinary youth based on their gender identity could be a positive development, but timely implementation is essential as some of the Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Youth’s recommendations have not been addressed since fiscal year 2018.
| Date published: | November 25, 2024 |
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