Governor Mills today signed into law LD 1712, a bill that will expand access to quality, affordable child care in Maine. The new law seeks replicate a successful program in Somerset County modeled after the successful Early Head Start-child Care Partnership. Under the law, Maine could create up to five additional programs across the State, which would be sponsored by coalitions of stakeholders, providers and other community members within the communities that the projects serve.
The law builds on the Mils Administration is ongoing work to expand affordable child care options in Maine. Through the Maine Jobs and Recovery plan, Governor Mills has proposed investing $20 million to help Maine communities renovate, expand or build new child care facilities and expand early childhood education programs. The Administration has also put forward a historic Child Care Plan for Maine that utilizes approximately $120 million in dedicated child care American Rescue Plan funds, on top of $50 million in previous COVID-19 pandemic assistance, to help Maine’s child care system recovery and improve child care quality, accessibility and affordability over the long-term. In the coming days, the Mills Administration will work with Legislative leaders to ensure sufficient funding for the successful implementation of LD 1712, the child care portion of the Maine Jobs and Recovery Act and the Child Care Plan for Maine.
Maine is expected to receive an additional nearly $120 million in Federal funds through the American Rescue Plan for child care, as part of what the White House describes as the single biggest national investment in child care since World War 11. This investment, combined with another estimated $8.4 million Maine expects to receive through an increase in Federal block grant funding, totals nearly $1.30 million that Maine will use to support one of the goals of the Children’s Cabinet increasing access to high-quality child care and expanding Maine’s child care workforce.
“The lack of high-quality, affordable child care in Maine is a major barrier to the success of our children and our economy. It prevents people from starting new businesses, taking new jobs and moving to rural communities. It also deprives kids of important developmental opportunities,” said Governor Mills. “With this new law and the important game-changing funds in the Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan, we can break down that barrier and give working families what they need to provide healthy, safe child care for their kids that allows them to go to work, bring home a paycheck and strengthen our economy.”