Department of Early Education and Care

Web Site:

www.mass.gov/eec

Organization Chart

Mission:

The Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care provides the foundation that supports all children in their development as lifelong learners and contributing members of the community and supports families in their essential work as parents and caregivers.

Governing Laws:

Statutes

MGL C. 15D S. 1-17	Purpose and policies

Regulations

102 CMR 1-5	Standards for the Licensure
606 CMR 10	Subsidized Child Care
606 CMR 14	Background Record Checks
102 CMR 12	Dependent Care and Assistance Program
606 CMR 7	Standards of Licensure
606 CMR 15	Early Education and Out of School Time Capital Fund Program

 

Reports:

• 2014 - 2019 Strategic Plan: The Strategic Plan is intended to document EEC's aspirational goals and will be used to inform the development of an Implementation Plan which will outline the tasks, timelines, and outcomes to meet those goals.
  


• PreSchool and Kindergarten Standards: The Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) has released the new Massachusetts Standards for Preschool and Kindergarten in the Domains of Social and Emotional Learning, and Approaches to Play and Learning. These Standards bring attention to these critical areas of development and learning, and further support a learning continuum from birth through school age and give the early childhood field a framework for best practices to support the development of these important competencies. EEC has adopted these Standards to promote early educational practices underlying emotional well-being, pro-social behavior and social competence, outcomes essential for students' later success in school and in relationships throughout life.
  


• Early Literacy Expert Panel Year Two Annual Report: This report, which is filed pursuant to Chapter 287 of the Acts of 2012, An Act relative to third grade reading proficiency, addresses an important educational benchmark, which strongly correlates with children's future success in school and beyond. The legislationestablished an Early Literacy Expert Panel, comprised of nine members, that is charged with providing recommendations to state education agencies on the alignment, coordination, implementation and improvement of all existing efforts that bear on children's literacy outcomes, guided by the goal of improving third grade reading outcomes in the Commonwealth.
  


• Report on the 2011 ECE & OST STEM Conference: For the past several years, key leaders in business, government and education have gathered at the Massachusetts StatewideSTEM Summit to promote STEM in education, resulting in the development of the Statewide STEM plan. Traditionally, these leaders have viewed STEM education through the lens of middle, high school and postsecondary education settings. STEM education in early childhood and informal education - or out-of-school-time - settings is often an afterthought, if mentioned at all. In response, the Department of Early Education and Care (DEEC) set out to raise the importance of STEM education in ECE and OST settings. Teaming up with the Aspire Institute or Wheelock College, the DEEC hosted two statewide ECE-OST STEM education conferences over the past two years.
  


• Keeping Sleep Time Safe - Information for Child Care Providers (English)
  


• Keeping Sleep Time Safe - Information for Parents (English)
  


• Keeping Sleep Time Safe - Information for Parents (Spanish)
  


• Keeping Sleep Time Safe - Information for Parents (Portuguese)
  


• Tips on Choosing Child Care (English)
  


• Tips on Choosing Child Care (Portuguese)
  


• Tips on Choosing Child Care (Spanish)
  


• Core Competencies for Early Education and Care and Out of School Time Educators
  


• Vision for the Early Childhoold Information System: The Massachusetts Early Childhood Information System (ECIS)
  


• Massachusetts Professional Development System Study: Year One Final Report
  


• Review of Budgetary Policies and Practices in the Massachusets Subsidized Child Care System: The report summarizes the findings from a review of budgetary policies and practices in the Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) as of Spring 2014 undertaken as one component of a legislatively mandated Assessment of the Massachusetts Subsidized Child Care System. This report was conducted by the Urban Institute. The report synthesizes qualitative information from multiple interviews with EEC staff, external stakeholders and experts in other states, and it combines this information with an analysis of recent spending history and a review of the current forecasting models.
  


• FY2014 Legislative Report: This report satisfied the Board of Early Education and Care's legislative reporting mandates as codified in M.G.L. c, 15D, 3(g), 10 and 13(d), to submit an annual report describing its progress in achieving the goals and implementing the programs authorized under Chapter 15D of the General laws of the Commonwealth. In addition, this report satisfies the Board's mandate to develop and annually update an implementation plan for a workforce development system which is designed to support the education, training, and compensation of the early education and care workforce, including all center, Family Child Care, infant, toddler, preschool, and school age providers. See M.G.L. c. 15D, 5