- Department of Early Education and Care
Hello EEC Community,
We have a couple of opportunities to engage and share feedback coming up as we start getting into the holiday season!
Announcements
EEC, in collaboration with the Office of Immigrant and Refugees and the Office of the Attorney General, hosted information sessions on the PROTECT Act, offering know your rights information and an overview of the policy and resources for EEC licensed and funded programs. Please refer to the PROTECT Act Resources page for more details as well as the slides from this session.
For Program Directors looking to support their educators to complete college or pursue higher education, we’ll be offering info sessions on tools and resources to help you guide them through the process. The sessions will be held October 22 and November 5. Community college class registration for January begins in November! If you or your staff are looking to attend classes in the Spring, please reach out to your local community college’s Career Pathways Coordinator. Contact information can be found on the Career Pathways webpage.
EEC is partnering with researchers at Boston University, to learn more about the day-to-day experiences of early education and care providers and organizations that serve families through our Child Care Financial Assistance (CCFA) Programs. The Massachusetts Early Care and Education Program (MEEP) survey is available in English and Spanish through the end of October. Each completed survey enters you into a weekly raffle for one of two $500 Amazon gift cards.
Reminders
Starting in November, when you recertify, your C3 grant amount will be updated. You will continue to receive this payment every month through November 2027.
The Business Front Door connects child care businesses with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and Team MA, a coordinated network of state agencies and economic development organizations. Ask a question, explore resources, and connect with an industry-specific navigator to get personalized guidance on starting or growing your business. Center-based programs, family child care homes, for-profit, and not-for-profit businesses are all welcome to use the platform. For more information, please watch our info sessions from last year, available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.
Upcoming Events
Thursday, October 22 at 1:30 – 2:30 pm
Wednesday, October 27 at 1 – 2:30 pm
Wednesday, October 28 at 12:00 – 1:00 pm, hosted by MA Health Connector
Wednesday, November 4 at 12:00 – 1:00 pm, hosted by MA Health Connector
Thursday, November 5 at 1:30 – 2:30 pm
Tuesday, November 10 at 12:00 – 1:00 pm, hosted by MA Health Connector
Wednesday, November 18 at 12:00 – 1:00 pm, hosted by MA Health Connector
Ongoing Work
You can also get updates from our Board meetings, where we discuss and provide regular EEC updates. These meetings generally happen on the second Wednesday of each month, September through June, at various locations throughout the Commonwealth. If you are looking to share public comment at one of these meetings, our feedback page has more information on how to submit. This page is also a great resource to get involved in our external engagement opportunities. Feel free to fill out one of the forms, and we will reach out if it’s a good fit.
Research
The next Data Advisory Commission on Early Education and Care will be meeting on Tuesday, October 27th at 1 pm on Zoom. This group is made up of representatives outlined in legislation and works to make recommendations to improve the use of state, provider, and program-level data related to the cost, quality, and utilization of early education and care services.
EEC’s KPI Dashboard now displays data on the private tuition rates charged by programs across the Commonwealth! Median tuition rates by program type, region, and age group can now be viewed on the family access page of the KPI dashboard.
Shout Outs and Celebrations
We had so many wonderful submissions, but we were only able to pick a couple to share today! If you sent in a shout out and it was not chosen, stay tuned for the next one! Please submit any new shoutouts to our Shout Out and Celebrations form.
Celebrating Charisse Balicki’s 20 Years of Service
Charisse is celebrating 20 years of service in our Licensed Child Care School Age Program. Charisse is an amazing leader who gives back so much to our families and staff. Thank you, Charisse, and here's to 20 more years.
- Kellie Brown, Boys and Girls Club of Greater Westfield
Celebrating Laurie Gola’s 18 Years at Sandcastles
Ms. Laurie has worked at Sandcastles for 18 years and continues to wow students, families, and staff with her innovative, intelligent, and creative curriculum. She is a true professional, continually growing and learning alongside her students.
- Maureen Fox, Sandcastles Child Care
Ruth Guzman’s 45 Years of Outstanding Service at The Kids Place
A heartfelt thank you to our Regional Director Ruth Guzman for her extraordinary dedication and selfless service to The Kids Place. Her leadership, support, and commitment to children and families have been instrumental in helping us serve thousands of families across Western Massachusetts for 45 years. Her selflessness, expertise and commitment to providing children the best childcare possible is unwavering. We want to give a huge SHOUTOUT TO RUTH for her decades of outstanding service at TKP!
- Dawn Petersen, The Kids Place
