Section 189 Operational Grants 5

(a) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the department of early education and care shall distribute operational grant funding for fiscal year 2025 through the following formula:

(i) providers with enrollment including at least 25 per cent of children receiving child care financial assistance, otherwise serving at least 25 per cent of low and at-risk children or head start or early head start program shall receive not less than 50.5 per cent of operational grant funding distributed in a fiscal year;

(ii) providers with enrollment including at least 1 per cent but less than 25 per cent of children receiving child care financial assistance shall receive not less than 28.4 per cent of operational grant funding distributed in a fiscal year; and

(iii) providers serving no children receiving child care financial assistance shall receive not more than 21.1 per cent of operational grant funding distributed in a fiscal year.

(b) A provider that is not an "eligible organization" as defined in section 18 of chapter 15D of the General Laws and that, directly or through an affiliate, operates more than 10 center-based programs in the commonwealth shall not receive more than 1 per cent of annual program funds unless the provider is granted a waiver by the commissioner deeming such allocation of more than 1 per cent to be in the best interest of the commonwealth.