Income Eligible Contract Bid
Public & Private Schools Bidder Questions
EEC hosted bidders’ conferences in Boston and Worcester during April to provide an overview of the Income Eligible contract bid and to answer questions from interested bidders. The questions listed below have been raised by bidders in writing or during one of the conferences.
This is likely to be the only posting of questions and answers for this bid. However, EEC will continue to accept technical questions and questions regarding forms until the revised RFR submission deadline. The revised deadline for RFR responses is May 27, 2009. Please send all questions to .
RFR Process & Application
o May a program use contract slots to fund eligible children in any preschool or out-of-school-time classroom, or are programs required to limit contract slots to specific classrooms?
Programs may use contract slots to fund children in any preschool or out-of-school time classroom at any of the site(s) proposed and approved during the bid response. Funding is not tied to a specific classroom. Funding may not be used to supplant existing funding.
o Are funds limited only to programs that create new classrooms, or can programs use contracts to expand the number of children served through existing classrooms?
Programs must use contract funding to either serve more children or to extend the length of the program day. Programs that plan to use contract slots to expand the number of children served may add classrooms or add children to existing classrooms, if the classroom capacity exists, consistent with EEC’s required staffing ratios.
o Please explain how programs can use the “extended day” slots for preschool?
For preschool programs that currently do not operate on a full-day basis (10 hours per day), contract funding may be used to extend the length of the existing program day to 10-hours per day. For example, a program that currently operates four-hours per day may use contract funding to add an additional six hours to the program day. EEC would reimburse the program in this example at a full-day rate of $33.25 to $36.55 per child, depending on the region in which the program is located. Please use the list of regions on page 24 of the RFR and the rate chart on page 25 to figure out the rate for your program.
o Can schools propose to serve children through sub-contracts with EEC licensed providers?
Yes. Schools may propose to serve children through sub-contracts with licensed providers. Schools should describe any subcontracting arrangements at the end of the on-line evaluation questionnaire.
Financial Assistance Policies
o How will schools locate and find families with children eligible to receive funding through contracts? Could participating schools place families on the waiting list?
Schools are required to use EEC’s centralized waiting list to identify and place families that are seeking access to an early education and care program in their community. As a contract provider, schools may directly place eligible families on the waiting list, using the procedures described in the EEC Financial Assistance Policy Guide. EEC will provide training on financial assistance policies prior to contract inception.
o Does this contract bid affect grants for inclusive learning experiences (formerly called Phase I funding)?
This contract bid does not affect funding for inclusive learning experiences. EEC will continue to fund this grant program.
Licensing Standards & Accreditation
o How many sites will be reviewed during the “licensing standards review” described on page 28 of the RFR? When will the reviews take place?
An evaluation team will review and score all bids received in response to this RFR. Based on the scoring of the bids, EEC will select a small group of bids to participate in the “licensing standards review” described on page 28 of the RFR. EEC anticipates conducting the reviews during the month of June 2009. If a bid is selected for review, the review team would review all sites proposed in the bid.
o If a school is moving a preschool or out-of-school-time site from one location to another, how will EEC conduct the “licensing standards review,” described on page 28 of the RFR? Which site will be reviewed? If a school changes sites after a contract is executed, will EEC conduct a new “licensing standards review?”
EEC will review the site(s) proposed in the bid. The sites proposed in the RFR response must be licensed in time for contract inception in September of 2009. If a program moves to a new site at any point during the contract term, the site must receive a licensing standards review before children can be funded through contracts at that site.
o What if a school district operates preschool and out-of-school-time programs at more than one site, can children funded through contracts attend any site or only sites visited during the “licensing standards review?”
The contract can be used to support slots across any of the sites that have received a licensing standards review.
o Can schools add new sites after the contracts go into effect?
Schools may add new sites after the contract goes into effect, but the sites must receive a licensing standards review before children may be funded through contracts.
o What are EEC’s required qualifications for preschool and out-of-school-time staff?
Please review EEC’s staff qualifications regulations for more information.
o Does the accreditation requirement apply to all programs, or just preschool?
The accreditation requirement only applies to preschool programs.
o What if a school district has a preschool program that is in the candidacy phase of accreditation, but has not yet received accreditation by NAEYC? Is the program still eligible for contracts?
A school program that is in the candidacy phase may apply for contracts, but EEC would not execute the contract until the program was fully accredited.
o What are the most significant differences between EEC licensing requirements and NAEYC accreditation requirements?
EEC compared EEC preschool licensing requirements and NAEYC’s accreditation requirements. EEC found that NAEYC requirements exceed preschool licensing requirements in all areas.
Reimbursement Policies
o How much does EEC reimburse for children in preschool and out-of-school-time programs?
EEC’s maximum daily reimbursement rates vary depending on the region in which a school is located, with full-time preschool rates ranging from $32.25 to $36.55 and after-school rates ranging from $15.20 to $17.40. Please use the list of regions on page 24 of the RFR and the rate chart on page 25 to figure out the rate for your program. For preschool children who attend a program for fewer than 30 hours per week, EEC reimburses at a part time rate that is equal to 50% of the full-time rate.
o Does EEC provide regular increases to the rates paid for care purchased through contracts?
EEC may increase the maximum daily reimbursement rates, but only during years in which the state budget includes funding specifically for rate increases.
o Please explain the requirements for charging parent fees for children funded through contracts?
Families receiving EEC financial assistance are required to contribute to the cost of early education and care services through a parent co-payment that varies based on family size and income. All programs that receive contract funding must administer contract slots using the guidelines established in Chapter 5 of EEC’s Financial Assistance Policy Guide. All parent co-payments must be administered using the Parent Co-Payment Schedule found on page 49 of the Policy Guide.
o Will funding from the “flex pool” be available to schools receiving contracts?
School programs funded through this contract will have the same access to “flex pool” funding that all other contract programs have. However, access to the flex pool is subject to the availability of funding. Flex pool policies may change through administrative memos that do not require contract amendments.
o Are there any additional contract funds available to help with the cost of serving children with special needs?
EEC has used the flex pool in the past to provide programs with funding to assist them in meeting the needs of children who need special accommodations. However, as noted above, access to the flex pool is subject to the availability of funding.
Income Eligible Contract Bid – Bidder Questions 4