If your childcare financial assistance is being terminated, this is the most time-sensitive page in the wiki. You have rights, including the right to keep your services running while you appeal — but only if you act before the termination date.

Common Reasons for Termination

Your childcare authorization may be terminated for any of the following reasons:

Reason	What it means
Lack of service need	You no longer have a qualifying activity and the grace period has passed
Intentional Program Violation (IPV)	Including non-payment of parent fees
Substantiated fraud	False or misleading information
Residency outside Massachusetts	You moved out of state
Income exceeding 85% SMI	Your income is too high
Excessive unexplained absences	Two or more occurrences of 3+ consecutive unexplained absences
Non-approved break in care	Your placement has been inactive for more than 30 consecutive days without a request for an Approved Break in Care. If you need to pause care, request an Approved Break in Care (up to 90 days) before the pause starts — see Attendance Rules (1.9)

Your Provider Can Also End Your Placement (But Not Your Voucher)

Separately from the above, a provider can end your child's placement at their program for:

• Failure to comply with the provider's own policies
• Health and safety concerns

This requires 2 weeks' notice from the provider (unless there are immediate safety concerns). This does not mean you lose your voucher — you lose your placement at that particular provider and need to find a new one. See Switching Providers (1.7).

The 14-Day Notice

Before your services are terminated, your CCR&R must make at least two separate attempts to reach you using different modes of communication (e.g., phone call one day, email the next day). After that, you must receive a written termination notice at least 14 calendar days before the effective date. This notice must include:

• A clear statement of the action being taken
• The effective date of termination
• The reason for termination
• The legal authority
• Contact information
• Your right to request a review
• A Request for Review form
• An explanation of how to continue services during the appeal
• Your right to be represented

Continuing Services During Your Appeal

To keep your services running while you appeal, you must:

1. File a Request for Review with EEC before the termination date (14 days from when notice was issued)
2. Keep all undisputed fee payments current during the review process
3. Ensure your child continues attending care in accordance with attendance policies

If you meet these conditions, the EEC Review Officer will determine whether your care continues during the review.

Important: Care can only be continued through the end of your original authorization. If your authorization is expiring at the same time, you must also complete reauthorization.

When Continued Care Stops During Appeal

Even if you initially qualified for continued care during appeal, it may be terminated if:

• The only issue is a challenge to the law itself (not how it was applied to you)
• A new change occurs that makes the original appeal moot
• You fail to comply with the requirements above (keeping fees current, child attending)
• You fail to reauthorize before your authorization end date

If You Left Care but Still Have an Active Authorization

If you stopped using your childcare placement but your 12-month authorization is still active, you have not lost your voucher. You can re-access care without being placed back on the waitlist, without a Request for Review, and without submitting additional documentation (unless your circumstances have changed). Contact your CCR&R to set up a new placement.

What You Cannot Be Terminated For

You cannot be terminated for:

• Failure to report a temporary change
• Parent fee balances incurred between March 2019 and February 2021

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Next Steps

• Just received a termination notice? File your Request for Review immediately — before the termination date. This keeps your services active.
• How to appeal: See How to Appeal (1.20) for the step-by-step process
• Fee-related termination? See Parent Fees (1.8) — a repayment plan may resolve this
• Need legal help? Contact Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS) or your local legal aid organization — they can represent you
• Lost your provider but not your voucher? See Switching Providers (1.7)