FY11 State Budget: Preserve and Protect Investments in High-Quality Early Education
Each year, the Early Education for All (EEA) Campaign makes a series of budget recommendations to the Governor and State Legislature for increased investments in high-quality early education. EEA needs your help during the FY11 budget process in making the case for high-quality early education so that we can preserve the momentum and progress we have made together for young children and families.

On Wednesday, June 30, Governor Patrick signed the $27.6 billion Fiscal Year 2011 (FY11) budget. The Governor vetoed $457.6 million from the budget approved by the legislature, including $372 million that relied on undelivered federal Medicaid (FMAP) funds. Cuts were made to early education and care line items.   

Update: President Obama, Congress pass FMAP relief
On August 10, President Obama signed legislation passed by the United States Congress to provide $10 billion to support teacher jobs and $16 billion to help states fund Medicaid (FMAP). This legislation will result in an estimated $655 million for Massachusetts. Strategies for Children and Early Education for All recommend that the legislature uses the FMAP relief funds to restore funding for high-quality early education and care as indicated in the FY11 Conference Committee appropriations (see FY11 Budget Tracker below.)
EEA FMAP letter [PDF]
EEA FMAP chart [PDF]

FY11 Budget Tracker
Below are final FY10 budget allocations and proposed FY11 allocations for EEC line items and related priorities:

MA Universal Pre-Kindergarten (3000-5075)
FY10 GAA: $8,000,000
FY10 post 9c: $8,000,000
FY11 House 2: $9,000,000
FY11 House Final: $8,000,000
FY11 Senate Final: $8,000,000
FY11 Conference Committee: $8,000,000 (6.25% FMAP Budget Relief Fund)
FY11 GAA: $7,500,000

EEC Administration (3000-1000)
FY10 GAA: $11,944,704
FY10 post 9c: $11,622,212
FY11 House 2: $11,889,917
FY11 House Final: $11,785,583
FY11 Senate Final: $11,622,212
FY11 Conference Committee: $11,516,944 (1.83% FMAP Budget Relief Fund)
FY11 GAA: $11,305,673

Access Management (3000-2000)
FY10 GAA: $9,782,724
FY10 post 9c: $6,358,771
FY11 House 2: $5,933,862
FY11 House Final: $5,933,862
FY11 Senate Final: $5,933,862
FY11 Conference Committee: $5,933,862 (0.00% FMAP Budget Relief Fund)
FY11 GAA: $5,933,862

Supportive Child Care (3000-3050)
FY10 GAA: $77,836,888
FY10 post 9c: $77,836,888
FY11 House 2: (see 3000-4060)
FY11 House Final: $89,786,814
FY11 Senate Final: $85,713,747
FY11 Conference Committee: $88,113,747 (2.72% FMAP Budget Relief Fund)
FY11 GAA: $85,713,747

TANF (3000-4050)
FY10 GAA: $116,232,279
FY10 post 9c: $116,232,279
FY11 House 2: (see 3000-4060)
FY11 House Final: $127,358,313
FY11 Senate Final: $127,358,313
FY11 Conference Committee: $127,358,313 (0.00% FMAP Budget Relief Fund)
FY11 GAA: $127,358,313

Income Eligible (3000-4060)
FY10 GAA: $273,572,478
FY10 post 9c: $260,954,672
FY11 House 2: $451,246,934 (consolidation includes Supportive Child Care & TANF)
FY11 House Final: $233,601,807
FY11 Senate Final: $233,527,427
FY11 Conference Committee: $233,527,427 (2.14% FMAP Budget Relief Fund)
FY11 GAA: $228,527,427

Head Start (3000-5000)
FY10 GAA: $8,000,000
FY10 post 9c: $8,000,000
FY11 House 2: $8,000,000
FY11 House Final: $8,000,000
FY11 Senate Final: $8,000,000
FY11 Conference Committee: $8,000,000 (6.25% FMAP Budget Relief Fund)
FY11 GAA: $7,500,000

Quality Supports (3000-6000)
FY10 GAA: $14,080,868
FY10 post 9c: $14,032,568
FY11 House 2: $4,434,038 (see 3000-7050)
FY11 House Final: $15,390,639
FY11 Senate Final: $14,032,568
FY11 Conference Committee: $14,011,633 (0.00% FMAP Budget Relief Fund)
FY11 GAA: $14,011,633

Mental Health (3000-6075)
FY10 GAA: $1,000,000
FY10 post 9c: $1,000,000
FY11 House 2: $1,500,000
FY11 House Final: $1,000,000
FY11 Senate Final: $750,000
FY11 Conference Committee: $1,000,000 (25.00% FMAP Budget Relief Fund)
FY11 GAA: $750,000

Services for Infants and Parents (3000-7050)
FY10 GAA: $5,000,000
FY10 post 9c: $5,000,000
FY11 House 2: $17,025,836 (includes funding from Quality Supports in FY10)
FY11 House Final: $5,000,000
FY11 Senate Final: $5,000,000
FY11 Conference Committee: $5,000,000 (0.00% FMAP Budget Relief Fund)
FY11 GAA: $5,000,000

Kindergarten Expansion Grants (7030-1002)
FY10 GAA: $25,948,947
FY10 post 9c: $25,948,947
FY11 House 2: $25,948,947
FY11 House Final: $25,972,317
FY11 Senate Final: $25,948,947
FY11 Conference Committee: $25,948,947 (11.56% FMAP Budget Relief Fund)
FY11 GAA: $22,948,947

Massachusetts State Scholarship Program (7070-0065)
funds Early Childhood Educators Scholarship
FY10 GAA: $3,200,000
FY10 post 9c: $3,200,000
FY11 House 2: No earmark language
FY11 House Final: No earmark language
FY11 Senate Final: Earmark language preserves FY10 spending level
FY11 Conference Committee: Earmark language preserves level funding provided FMAP funding received
FY11 GAA: Language preserves previous year's funding level

June 24 : Final Budget Reached Governor's Desk
On Thursday, June 24, the State Legislature passed and sent to Governor Patrick the Fiscal Year 2011 (FY11) state budget. The new fiscal year begins July 1, 2010. Massachusetts has not received an anticipated $700 million in federal Medicaid funds. To address the funding shortfall, the FY11 state budget does the following:

- Many programs are funded assuming a percentage of the revenue will come from the "FMAP Budget Relief Fund" should Congress approve this funding.
- If the FMAP money is passed by Congress, these programs will be fully funded. If Congress does not pass FMAP, these programs will be cut by the amount of their designated FMAP Budget Relief funding.
- For example, the Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) grant program funded at $8 million with 6.25% of its total allocation designated as coming from the FMAP Budget Relief Fund will receive only $7.5 million this fiscal year if FMAP is not passed.

May 28: Senate Passes FY11 State Budget:
The Massachusetts State Senate approved its Fiscal Year 2011 (FY11) budget for a reported $28.8 billion. The Senate budget, while increasing spending by roughly 1.7 percent over FY10, does not raise taxes or use any of the reserves from the rainy day fund. It relies on spending reductions and reforms to close an almost $2.9 billion budget gap.

Thanks to the efforts of hundreds of advocates who contacted their state senators, several amendments were adopted that invest in early education, including:

#391 ADOPTED (Sponsors: Senators Chandler, Donnelly, O’Leary and M. Moore)
FULL-DAY KINDERGARTEN (7030-1002) – Restores a $6 million, or 25%, cut to the Full-day Kindergarten (FDK) Grant Program. Research shows that children attending FDK programs receive 40-50% more instruction than in half-day kindergarten programs, leading to greater gains in reading and math and lower rates of grade retention.

# 389 ADOPTED (Sponsors: Senators O’Leary, Timilty and Fargo)
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS SCHOLARSHIP (7070-0065) – The original amendment to earmark the early educators scholarship was redrafted and adopted to ensure "that the Board shall continue to administer all programs funded in this item at an amount no less than that expended in the prior fiscal year" - including the early educators scholarship. Research links teacher education to greater gains in children’s language and math skills, relationships with peers, and later academic success

# 424 ADOPTED (Sponsor: Senator Jehlen)
QUALITY SUPPORTS (3000-6000) – inserts language allowing EEC to expend funds from the item on grants for supplemental services for children with special needs. (NOTE: this amendment was redrafted eliminating reference to funding restoration)

# 434 WITHDRAWN (Sponsors: Senators Flanagan, M. Moore, and Jehlen)
EARLY CHILDHOOD MENTAL HEALTH (3000-6075) – Restores level funding mental health services to $1 million.

# 421 ADOPTED (Sponsors: Senators Spilka, Creem and O’Leary)
INCOME ELIGIBLE (3000-4060) – Restores a $5 million cut to the Income Eligible line item, providing child care subsidies to eligible children.

# 554 REJECTED (Sponsor: Senator Candaras)
EEC ADMINISTRATION (3000-1000) – Increases funding for administration of the Department of Early Education and Care to $11.89 million.

# 555 ADOPTED (Sponsors: Senators Candaras and M. Moore)
SUPPORTIVE CHILD CARE (3000-3050) – Includes language stating funds from this line item “may be used to provide services during a transition period of 6 months for families upon the closure of their case.”

Senate FY11 budget:
Executive summary
Appropriations

House FY11 budget:
Executive summary
Appropriations
Ammendments

EEA FY11 budget recommendations [PDF]

October 9C Cuts Impacting FY10 Budget for Early Education and Care
On October 29, facing one of the worst fiscal crises in state history, Governor Deval Patrick called for $352 million in immediate reductions to the current Fiscal Year 2010 (FY10) state budget under his 9C authority, a statutory power to decrease spending when state revenue estimates no longer support projected spending. The governor plans to reduce spending by $277 million across executive agencies and to seek additional authority to cut another $75 million in other areas of government.

The governor’s announcement came in response to a projected $600 million budget deficit. Tax revenues for the first quarter of the fiscal year are reported to be $212 million lower than expected. Visit www.mass.gov for more information on the 9C process and read the complete list of spending reductions.

The Department of Early Education and Care’s (EEC) FY10 budget will be reduced by $16.4 million (3%) through the following line items:

EEC Administration (3000-1000): Reduction of $322,000 to $11.62 million

Access Management (3000-2000): Reduction of $4.42 million to $5.36 million

Income Eligible Child Care (3000-4060): Reduction of $11.61 million to $261.95 million

Quality Supports (3000-6000): Reduction of $48,300 to $14.03 million

Read detailed information on spending reductions in early education and care. These budget cuts take effect immediately. We will continue to monitor the state budget and share further updates as they become available.

Fiscal Year 2011 (FY11) Budget Timeline
FY11 starts on July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2011

View EEA's Budget Guide for early education advocates. [PDF]

View the early education funding overview in the FY10 state budget.