Governor Mills Announces $5.5 Million Investment in Latest Round of Support for Maine Child Care Providers

American Rescue Plan Act funds construct on historic investments to strengthen baby look after working households

Governor Janet Mills introduced at present that the Maine Division of Well being and Human Providers (DHHS) will award practically $5.5 million to present and new Maine baby care suppliers within the newest spherical of investments her administration is making to increase the provision of reasonably priced, high-quality baby look after Maine’s working households. 

These new grants construct on the Governor’s work to supply everlasting $200 month-to-month wage dietary supplements for baby care staff and a $15 million funding from her Maine Jobs & Restoration Plan to help the development and enlargement of kid care applications. For the reason that onset of the pandemic, the Mills Administration has supplied greater than $100 million in funding for baby care, serving to Maine suppliers keep open and improve pay for workers, regardless of the challenges introduced by COVID-19.

Governor Mills will spotlight the most recent spherical of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) help throughout a go to at present to Educare Central Maine in Waterville, a nationally acknowledged baby care and preschool middle, and the Boys & Ladies Golf equipment & YMCA of Better Waterville, the state’s largest licensed baby care middle for school-aged kids.

“Dad and mom want top quality reasonably priced baby care with a view to go to work and youngsters want a secure place to study and develop in the course of the day,” stated Governor Janet Mills. “That is one other essential step ahead in our effort to increase baby care choices for working Maine households. We’re targeted on recruiting extra baby care staff, constructing extra baby care amenities, and making baby care extra reasonably priced so that each father or mother can entry high quality care for his or her children.  My administration will proceed to work to strengthen the kid care system that our working households depend on.”

“Entry to reasonably priced, high-quality baby care helps kids develop and thrive,” stated Jeanne Lambrew, Commissioner of the Maine Division of Well being and Human Providers. “The Governor’s historic investments in baby care are serving to suppliers recruit and retain employees, preserve and increase capability, and supply high quality care to Maine kids. Persevering with this help is a part of our broader plan to chart a sustainable restoration from the pandemic and brighter future for Maine’s baby care system.”

“Inexpensive childcare is important for workforce growth.  In an effort to get folks again to work they should have dependable, secure and enjoyable childcare avenues for his or her kids,” stated Ken Walsh, CEO of the Boys & Ladies Golf equipment and YMCA of Better Waterville. “These funding alternatives are important for our group to proceed to supply companies to our higher group like we’ve for the previous 98 years. Mentors are important for youth growth. The wage dietary supplements assist us entice the suitable employees members for our youngsters.  We’re grateful for these initiatives that actually make a distinction in our communities and assist makes Maine a fascinating place to dwell.”

“Early care and training professionals are the workforce behind Maine’s workforce,” stated Tracye Fortin, KVCAP COO, Educare Central Maine Govt Director. “The Mills Administration’s continued funding acknowledges that high-quality early care and training are key to financial growth. Monetary dietary supplements, start-up helps, {and professional} growth for profession pathways assist kids, households, companies and communities to thrive. I’m excited for continued methods to draw and retain early childhood educators for all kids, particularly infants and toddlers.”

DHHS will use the practically $5.5 million in federal funding to:

• Additional incentivize suppliers to supply toddler care by growing an current stipend from $100 to $150 per toddler per week. Since DHHS carried out the $100 stipend in July 2020, the variety of infants receiving care with this help has risen from 107 to 252 statewide.
• Appeal to new baby care suppliers by providing a one-time $10,000 stipend to baby care facilities newly licensed between October 1, 2022 and September 30, 2023. This builds on stipends DHHS has already made obtainable for brand spanking new household baby care and leisure applications that turn out to be licensed as baby care suppliers.
• Incentivize baby care suppliers to serve lower-income households by awarding $500 for every baby newly served by means of the Little one Care Subsidy Program (CCSP). CCSP helps eligible households to pay for baby care so mother and father can work, go to high school, or take part in a job coaching program. DHHS has additional helped low-income mother and father who obtain subsidies by waiving their contribution to baby care charges by means of September 30, 2023, saving over 1,500 households with over 2,500 kids as much as $180 per week.
• Encourage baby care suppliers to take part in Maine’s Early Childhood Session Partnership, an evidence-based program that provides help and coaching to baby care and early training suppliers to assist them meet the social and emotional wants of infants and youngsters as much as age 8. DHHS will present a one-time stipend of $5,000 to baby care suppliers that take part in this system, with at the very least $1,500 going on to employees who full the coaching program.

At this time’s grants come from the federal ARPA’s supplemental Little one Care and Growth Fund Discretionary Funds. As beforehand introduced, DHHS is distributing one other $13.6 million from these funds to assist eligible baby care suppliers cowl quite a lot of prices associated to COVID-19 and restoration as different pandemic-related help concludes. For the months of October 2022 by means of January 2023, baby care applications are eligible to obtain $50 per slot primarily based on licensed capability. From February 2023 by means of Might 2023, baby care applications might be eligible to obtain $25 per slot primarily based on licensed capability. This follows the distribution of over $73 million in COVID-19 Little one Care Stabilization Grants from October 2021 to September 2022 that helped Maine baby care suppliers improve pay for workers and canopy prices associated to COVID-19.

The Workplace of Little one and Household Providers (OCFS) is moreover offering $200 everlasting month-to-month wage dietary supplements for baby care staff. Governor Mills supported and signed into legislation greater than $12 million in ongoing state Basic Fund {dollars} to pay these wage dietary supplements for early childhood educators offering direct care, strengthening the early care and training system throughout Maine.

To help Maine’s baby care infrastructure, DHHS in August introduced the complete availability of as much as $15 million in grants by means of the Governor’s Maine Jobs and Restoration Plan to help the development and enlargement of kid care applications. The objective of this “bricks and mortar” help from the Maine Jobs and Restoration Plan is so as to add 4,700 baby care slots throughout Maine, particularly in rural areas and for infants.

In all, the Mills Administration’s funding for baby care from March 2020 to the current totals greater than $100 million, representing an unprecedented funding to extend entry to high-quality care and help for Maine’s baby care workforce in step with OCFS’ Little one Care Plan for Maine. Because of these investments, baby care suppliers have been capable of preserve, and even construct, capability regardless of the pandemic – from 47,819 licensed slots in February 2020 to 48,294 licensed slots in September 2022.