ECAC Framework: Consistent with the Cost Model Domains

Does this graphic look familiar?

The ECAC Early Childhood Systems Framework consists of four focus areas or Domains which shape our early childhood systems-building efforts.The Finance Work Group is also using the four Domains to form the foundation for the architecture of the Cost Model. Click here to open up a link to the Cost Elements under each of these Domains. For each of the above Domains, the cost model will report the current funding, total funding that is required to achieve a given level of quality services based on demographic information, and the funding gap.The current twelve months of funding that is available for each service element and the total funding is computed based on the number of children projected to participate in the service, based on the cost per child. 

Do the Walk!

The architecture will continue through to each Cost Element. If you are wondering how the Cost Model will work, see the illustration below or click here. In this case, the example given is in the Early Learning Domain and the Cost Element is Early Care and Learning.

Let's Walk It Through......

Johnny Jones, who is 4 years old, goes to the Happy & Learning Child Care Center (H&LCCC) a licensed center. He is there all day. Let's say (hypothetically) H&LCCC has a four star rating (in QUALITY starsNY). If we are looking at cost for Johnny, we need the unit cost for high quality early care and learning. To determine that cost we would need to know expenses of the service such as qualified staff, management and H&LCCC's occupancy costs as well as the system costs for professional development, operating QSNY, licensing, and so forth.

Let's say we wanted to know how much it would cost for all the children in New York State age four to receive Early Care and Learning. To do that, we will need to gather current financing information on the following:

• Preschool Special Education
• Universal Prekindergarten
• Head Start
• Professional Development
• Child Care Licensing
• QSNY

We could then apply Johnny's cost for "early care and learning" to the total population of children age four in New York State.  Click here to see the architecture of this particular scenario.

Why Is This Important?

Our Cost Model will allow the user to modify the population and the programs and services to estimate the cost for the area of the early childhood system they choose.