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FY14 State Budget Discussion. EEC Board Meeting May 13, 2013. FY14 EEC Budget House and Governor’s Budget Comparison. FY14 House Final Budget – Non Caseload.
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FY14 State Budget Discussion EEC Board Meeting May 13, 2013
FY14 House Final Budget – Non Caseload • 3000-1000 Administration: The House has funded this account at $12,353,980 which is an increase of $241K from FY13 (or 2%). This amount enables EEC to meet its FY14 maintenance needs. (CBA salary related increases and space rental increases are the major forces driving the FY14 maintenance increases). • 3000-1001 Compliance Management: This is a new line offered by the House. Notwithstanding the existing caseload forecasting office, this line item supports the House initiative to create a special commission to study and enhance early education services. • 3000-2000 Access Management: The House level funds this account at $5.9M. • 3000-5000 Head Start Grants: The HWM originally reduced the appropriation by $500K. The $500K amount was restored during the House floor debate, bringing the FY14 House budget recommendation for Head Start level funding. • 3000-5075 Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK): HWM originally reduced the appropriation by $2.5M. The $2.5M was restored during the House floor debate, bringing the FY14 House budget recommendation for UPK to level funding. • 3000-6075 Mental Health: The House level funds this account at $750K. • 3000-7050 Family Engagement: HWM originally reduced the appropriation by $2M. The $2M amount was restored during the House floor debate, bringing the FY14 House budget recommendation to the FY13 level. • 3000-7070 Reach Out and Read (ROR): The House increase the ROR appropriation in FY14 by $50K to $800K in FY14. • Rate Reserve: The House also added $7.5M for a one time rate reserve payment. Such funds would be used to help increase rates for early education and care providers.
FY14 Budget: Caseload Accounts - Supportive • 3000-3050: Supportive • FY13 Available Funding: $77,330,875 • FY14 EEC Current Maintenance Need: $80,248,174 • Current Maintenance Definition: EEC’s current FY14 maintenance projection includes additional funding that will support services for approximately 340 children. Note that we have offered 200 “slots” to DCF under a statewide expansion slot policy to alleviate the DCF waitlist. • House: $80,821,506: House Final recommendation is $593K greater than EEC’s current maintenance need.
Supportive Language The language in the FY13 GAA for 3000-3050 (Supportive Care) states, in part: ……. provided further, that the department of early education and care, in collaboration with the department of children and families, shall maintain a centralized list detailing the number of children eligible for services in this item, the number of supportive slots filled and the number of supportive slots available; provided further, that funds may be used to provide services during a transition period of 6 months for families upon the closure of their case; provided further, that all children eligible for services under this item shall receive those services; provided further, that if the department determines that available appropriations for this program will be insufficient to meet projected expenses, the commissioner shall file with the house and senate committees on ways and means and the secretary of administration and finance, a report detailing the amount of appropriation needed to address such deficiency; and provided further, that the commissioner of early education and care may transfer funds to this item from items 3000-1000, 3000-4050 and 3000-4060, as necessary, pursuant to an allocation plan, which shall detail by object class the distribution of the funds to be transferred and which the commissioner shall file with the house and senate committees on ways and means 30 days before the transfer.
Supportive Language The conundrum is this: • While the language states that “all children eligible for services under this item shall receive those services” we secured services for this program through a competitive bid in 2010 and awarded a specific number of contract and expansion slots to providers. • Not allowing providers to exceed their allocation is to choose not to serve children on the waitlist. If we decide to serve all children on the waitlist, we run the risk of exceeding our allocation. • If we don’t serve children on the waitlist, we could be in violation of the appropriation language. • There is presently a surplus of $3.0M in the Supportive account, but this could easily dissipate in FY14. • We recently released to DCF 200 expansion units to be given to children on the DCF waiting list.
FY14 Budget: Caseload Accounts - DTA The House Final recommendation is approximately $4.9M less than EEC’s current FY14 maintenance need. If expenditures align with FY14 forecast, we will have a built in deficiency of approximately $2.4M at House Final Budget at $128M that will need to be resolved through a supplemental budget later in FY14 or a transfer from the Income Eligible appropriation. • 3000-4050: DTA Related • FY13 Available Funding: $125,495,740 • FY14 EEC Current Maintenance Need: $130,396,104 • Current Maintenance Definition: Historical caseload fluctuations have been built into the FY14 current maintenance need figure. Using a 3 year historical average (month to month caseload percentage change by age group), expenditures are estimated to be approximately $4.9M more than the FY13 appropriation. Expenditures were calculated using a 3 year average cost per child by month and by age group. • House: $128,063,499. Language provides standard transferability (3% to DCF and Income Eligible.)
FY14 Budget Caseload Accounts – Income Eligible The funding level of $214.3M creates a shortfall $12.1M. If the projected DTA deficit is funded through the IE account the shortfall will increase by $2.4M to $14.5M. In either scenario backfilling attrition will not be possible, unused contract slots may need to be terminated from the contracts, and children could potentially be removed from care if these initiatives do not reduce expenditures to the appropriation budget levels. FY14 budget language for the Income Eligible appropriation account stipulates the following: “and provided further, that any unexpended funds in this item at the end of fiscal year 2013 shall not revert and shall be made available for the purposes of this item until June 30, 2014” . If this language prevails, the current projected FY13 IE surplus of $13.7, after transferring $6.1M to eliminate the projected FY13 DTA deficit, will result in $7.5M available for FY14. This reduces the forecasted FY14 IE shortfall to $4.6M to $7.0M (if we have to cover the DTA deficit).
FY14 Budget: Caseload Accounts – Income Eligible • 3000-4060: Income Eligible • FY13 Available Funding:$231,870,452 • FY14 EEC Current Maintenance Need:$226,479,673 • Current Maintenance Definition: Voucher access has been closed since February 2011. Effective April 2013 EEC opened limited access to allow EEC to backfill attrition. Approximately 1100 vouchers and contract slots have been added gradually since February 2013. Backfilling attrition and having every contract slot filled is the basis of EEC Income Eligible FY14 maintenance need. Expenditures have been calculated using a 3 year average cost per child by month and by age group. The maintenance need supports voucher caseload of 14,480 and, on average, contract caseload at 15,903. • House: $214,340,742 and provides standard transferability language (3% to DTA and Supportive)
