MADCA Staff

Board of Directors

About MADCA...

MADCA is a statewide advocacy group of programs providing early education and school age services. The association concentrates on positively impacting funding from the Executive and Legislative branch. MADCA has a demonstrated record of success addressing issues with the Department of Early Education and Care.

This year, MADCA’s agenda is focused on program stability, workforce development, and access to quality early education and school age programs.

Some of MADCA's recent successes are as follows:

• Developed and led an advocacy effort comprised of twelve early education and school age groups. This collaboration has resulted in an annual state house advocacy day on February 14th. This day brings over 600 early educators and school age professionals to the state house to engage their legislators in pursuit of adequate funding for our efforts.
  
• Secured over $90 Million in rate reserves during the past decade. These funds have targeted early educator salaries, early literacy, accreditation, regional equity, and program stability. In 2007, the Governor and the legislature included $19.5 Million, annualizing the 2006 rate increase and adding $7 Million in additional funding. These increases have resulted in family child care homes and early educator/school age staff salaries increasing 26% in a decade.
  
• Secured in 2006 the first transportation increase in a decade for supportive and income eligible child care subsidies. This increase dramatically assisted programs who provide this vital service at significant financial loss.
  
• Created the early education/school age scholarship line item fund. Have successfully advocated for funding increases, moving from the initial $1 Million in 2005 to $4 Million in 2007. These scholarships have helped thousands of staff seeking higher education credentials.
  
• Created initiative and secured funding to expand school age access for children turning age 13 during the school year. This initiative dramatically assists children and families at risk of losing care.
  
• Led the effort, working with EEC, to secure legislative support and funding to eliminate a Supportive child care wait list.
  
• Supported the creation and implementation of universal preschool. MADCA has been the leading voice for ensuring that private community based programs are the infrastructure to build upon in creating a universal preschool system. MADCA is also committed to ensuring a fair and level environment that has public schools held to the same licensing standards and funding policies that private providers are held to.
  
• Recognized the public policy embarrassment of having 20,000 children on a wait list for child care subsidy and has successfully advocated for new subsidy funding for over 10,000 children.
  
• Been the leading voice in protecting a mixed purchasing system using contracts and vouchers.


• Been the voice for quality family child care through the use of Systems.