The Board of Early Education and Care voted to authorize the Department of Early Education and Care to file a draft proposed FY26 formula for the Commonwealth Cares for Children (C3) program for publication and public comment, opening a roughly 30-day comment period that will include a public hearing with live interpretation in multiple languages.

The action, moved by the board chair and seconded by Dr. Lucas, directs the commissioner to file the draft with the Secretary of the Commonwealth for publication in the Massachusetts Register. Commissioner [name not specified] said the agency's recommendation to keep the existing formula in FY26 is intended to provide stability and predictability for providers while the board collects public feedback to inform potential changes for FY27. "The agency's proposal, for the board's consideration for public comment, [is] that we maintain the existing formula," the commissioner said.

Why it matters: The FY25 budget added a formal role for this board in establishing and approving changes to the C3 formula. The board's vote begins the statutorily required public process; staff said they expect to return to the board in October with the public feedback and proposed responses, and to finalize the FY26 formula before recalculating grant awards during the November recertification.

Department staff presented the existing formula and the agency's recommended approach. Jocelyn Bowne, who has led the C3 work at the department, summarized statutory obligations and data from the program's first year under the current formula. "The data that we have does show that C3 continues to function successfully as a capacity building mechanism for the field," Bowne said, adding the department has observed increases in seats and program participation since November 2024.

Staff described the formula's mechanics: license capacity (with an adjustment for centers below 75% enrollment and family child care programs below three children) multiplied by program-specific base rates, then by an equity adjustment that accounts for program characteristics such as the share of children receiving Child Care Financial Assistance (CCFA), program geography, Head Start status and, for some larger for-profit programs, a CEO-to-educator compensation ratio. Annual awards are the monthly award multiplied by 12 for programs open full year, with a statutory cap of 1% of total funds for multi-site for-profit programs; department staff said the commissioner has discretion under statute to waive that cap in certain cases.

The department also described a new FY26 requirement: programs receiving C3 must attest in the November recertification application that they are willing to enroll children receiving CCFA when a space is available. Staff clarified the attestation does not require a voucher agreement to be in place at the moment of attestation, nor does it require that programs already have CCFA-enrolled children; rather, the attestation signals willingness to accept CCFA when a family seeks care. Ellen [last name not provided], a department staff member, said prior surveys indicate about 83% of providers either are willing or undecided about accepting CCFA.

Board members asked how many programs might opt out as a result of the attestation and how the department will ensure families are able to use attested slots. Dr. Lucas asked whether the attestation would prompt programs to stop participating in C3; department staff said they cannot know final impacts until the attestation is collected but estimated roughly 10% to 15% of programs previously indicated discomfort with voucher agreements. Staff said they will work with the CCR&R (Child Care Resource and Referral) network and other partners to expedite voucher agreements when families select a program that has attested willingness but not yet a voucher contract.

Action and timing: If the board's authorization stands, the department will post the draft formula for public comment in August/September, hold a public hearing in September, collect written and verbal feedback, return to the board in October with compiled feedback and responses, and (if approved) apply recalculated awards during the November recertification process.

The board also approved routine minutes from the June 11, 2025 meeting during the same session. That motion recorded one abstention.