Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management

The Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) reauthorization aims to bring significant advancements to the child care subsidy program. This includes new attention focused on ensuring that subsidized families have access to stable high quality care. Under the CCDBG Implementation and Evaluation Planning Grant, the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) is in the process of reviewing its policies in response to this new focus. In particular, EEC is evaluating how to improve both the quality and stability of providers in their subsidy system.

In partnership with Brandeis University and Boston University, EEC is engaging in a two-part planning process. In the first stage, the project team will conduct pilot analyses to answer the following key research questions: (1) what is the quality of programs attended by children receiving subsidies and do these characteristics differ by provider type (e.g. umbrella/system member vs. independent organization, center-based care vs. family child care, contracted provider vs. voucher-only provider) and (2) what is the rate of programs exits (children leaving programs) experienced by providers in the subsidy system and are there difference by provider type? These analyses will help to direct and shape the design of an evaluation study in part two of the project. Pilot analyses will use pre-reauthorization administrative data on the quality and stability of subsidized providers. Pilot quality measures will include licensing history (including violations), accreditation and Quality Rating and Improvement System scores.

This presentation will provide an overview of the pilot analysis findings. Additionally, the panelist will provide 1) a description of the active collaboration model used by EEC and university research staff throughout the planning process, including how the model promotes consensus building, shared learning and the enhancement of the state’s research capacity, 2) a discussion of the viability of different approaches to evaluation based on competing state priorities and real-time implementation of policy changes, 3) an examination of the use of administrative data in planning for/designing evaluations and 4) a discussion of successes and lessons learned from the project. This presentation will offer valuable insight for state agencies and researchers interested in planning for and designing evaluation studies of not only CCDBG policy changes but also other social policy changes.