Commonwealth Corporation Foundation Launches RFP for Early Education and Child Care Task Force Support

BACKGROUND

Massachusetts is striving to lead the nation in early education and child care access, affordability, equity, and quality.

Governor Healey signed Executive Order No. 625 in January 16th of 2024, Establishing An Inter-Agency Task Force on Ensuring Affordable, High Quality Child Care, which seeks to: unleash the potential of every child while improving the stability of the system for providers, enhance pay and benefits for a workforce overwhelmingly comprised of women and many people of color, and strengthen access and reliability for businesses whose employees count on child care to go to work every day.

The Executive Order established the Task Force, co-chaired by the Secretaries of Education, Labor and Workforce Development, and Economic Development, to advise the Healey-Driscoll Administration on the development of a whole-of-government approach to increasing access to affordable, high-quality early education and care.

In order to support the work of the Task Force, Commonwealth Corporation Foundation is seeking a qualified vendor to carry out key deliverables to support this effort. Commonwealth Corporation Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports Commonwealth Corporation, and invests in innovative partnerships with industry, education, and workforce organizations to help employers and workers thrive in Massachusetts’ dynamic economy.

In partnership and consultation with the Task Force co-chairs, Commonwealth Corporation Foundation will set the scope and direct the work of the selected vendor. Day-to-day management of the work of the vendor will be provided by Commonwealth Corporation Foundation in partnership with Executive Office of Education (EOE) Undersecretary & Chief Operating Officer and in coordination with the key leadership provided by the Executive Office of Labor & Workforce Development (EOLWD), the Executive Office of Economic Development (EOED), and the Department of Early Education & Care (EEC) Commissioner. Contracting and payment under the terms of any agreement with a selected vendor will be led by Commonwealth Corporation Foundation.

The project is estimated to begin in May 2024 and the first phase of the project is expected to run through December 2024. Depending on available funding, the status of the work completed, and any additional needs identified in partnership with the Task Force, there may be an opportunity to extend the engagement. This initial phase of the  project plan will consist of the following four steps: (1) information gathering and community engagement through public listening sessions, (2) preparation of an interim report to be shared with Commonwealth Corporation Foundation and Task Force Leadership, (3) policy solution development and additional community engagement, and (4) preparation of final report likewise to be share with Commonwealth Corporation Foundation and Task Force leadership.

The selected vendor will provide project management, facilitation, and report drafting support to advance these five priority areas set forth in the Executive Order:

1. Surveying practices of other states in reducing costs, increasing capacity, and improving quality of child care providers, identifying best practices, and making recommendations for how such practices could be adopted in Massachusetts;

2. Assessing how better coordination among state agencies and their partners could support families in accessing child care that meets their needs, including through technology improvements;

3. Identifying resources for building capacity and increasing affordability in the child care system (through both center-based and family child care), including from the federal government, the philanthropic community, and employers, which may include exploring incentives for employers to assist employees with child care;

4. Identifying strategies to recruit, train, upskill, and retain members of the child care workforce, including by expanding apprenticeship initiatives, higher education programs, related training opportunities, and potential new initiatives;

5. Reviewing existing assets to identify potential locations to establish center-based child care, which shall include consulting with the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities and the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance and other partners identified throughout the course of this project regarding their work identifying surplus and underutilized land for housing pursuant to Executive Order No. 623.