Public Policy...
A Voice for Child Care and School Age Providers

MADCA is the public policy voice for private For-Profit and Non-Profit community-based child care programs providing early education and school age services to children form birth to 12 years of age.

Child care providers face many challenges from competing sectors and interests. We can only succeed when we stand together. Please join us and strengthen our voice in state and federal decision making related to early education and school age issues.

Some of our 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. Over 600 early educators and school age professionals visit 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 the past decade.
• In 2006, secured 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 a 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 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 Childcare Waitlist.
• 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 waitlist for child care subsidies and has successfully advocated for new subsidy funding for over 10,000 children.
• MADCA has been the leading voice in protecting a mixed purchasing system using contracts and vouchers.
• MADCA has been the voice for quality family child care through the use of Systems.