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Commentary: It’s time to build the public and political will to help Maine families
November 3, 2023
Child welfare continues to appear in headlines as policymakers and state leaders react to the challenges faced by our state’s child welfare system. Information about the efficacy of the child welfare agency is important and deserves routine discussion and thoughtful analysis. However, our focus and attention cannot stop there. Why are so many families struggling? We must find ways to work together to help parents and caregivers provide safety and stability for their children.
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Bipartisan support of child care benefits Maine, today and tomorrow
July 5, 2023
Budgets are a reflection of our state values and priorities. The recent bipartisan budget agreement reflects what we know to be true: The Maine child care system needs new investments to better work for children, families, early educators and employers.
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More investment needed for the well-being of Maine children
May 4, 2023
The Maine Children’s Alliance recently released the 2023 KIDS COUNT Data Book on the well-being of Maine children and families. Feedback from across the state and political spectrum has been clear and consistent, and the data are sobering. Approximately 34,000 Maine children live in poverty. Child maltreatment is high. Maine youth are facing unprecedented mental health issues. Significant disparities persist across indicators when disaggregated by income, race and ethnicity, geography and other factors.
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Critical report on Maine's child welfare system sets up reform talks in Legislature
January 6, 2023
The state’s child welfare system has been one of the top subjects of legislative debate since the tenure of former Gov. Paul LePage, just as it was ahead of major reforms in the early 2000s. It has usually been prompted by high-profile deaths that thrust the worst cases into public view. This is going to happen again in 2023.
More from: Bangor Daily News →
Maine’s Children's Alliance Holds 2022 Children’s Convention
September 22, 2022
HALLOWELL, Maine (WABI) - It started with an opening forum where people from different communities spoke about the work that they do. The theme of the convention is community. According to the Maine Children’s Alliance, the focus is on policies, structures and systems to make sure children and families have the chance to get a good start in life.
More from: WABI 5 →
Bilingual Daycare Coming to Bangor
August 30, 2022
Throughout the pandemic, we've heard about a growing need for child care services across the state. According to the Maine Children's Alliance, the number of licensed family child care centers in Maine dropped by more than 10% in just the last two years. Last year, there were less than 800 licensed family child care centers in Maine.
More from: Newscenter Maine →
Report highlights mental health struggles of Maine’s kids
August 16, 2022
The Maine News Service recently covered the release of the national KIDS COUNT Data Book and Maine's state ranking of 12th. Children’s advocacy groups are sounding the alarm about the mental health challenges of Maine’s kids. The 2022 Kids Count Data Book, released last week, highlights how children are struggling with anxiety and depression at unprecedented levels, about one-in-nine nationally.
More from: Maine Beacon →
Mills Administration Delivers More Than $100 Million for Child Care During Pandemic
June 28, 2022
The Mills Administration announced today that the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has provided more than $100 million in Federal funding for child care during the pandemic, a milestone that represents more than three times the funding provided before COVID-19. As a result of these investments, child care providers have been able to maintain, and even build, capacity despite the pandemic – from 47,819 licensed slots in February 2020 to 48,940 licensed slots in June 2022.
More from: Office of Governor Mills →
Maine Child Welfare Action Network Press Statement
May 18, 2022
We all want children in our state to grow up in safe and supportive environments. Our Network stands with the families who have experienced the tragedy of a child’s death, and the immeasurable loss that represents for them and their communities. Their voices should be central in our discussions. One way we can honor their experiences now is by moving beyond debate to take collective action and implement recommended changes.
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Maine Voices: State funding is needed to ensure the safety of Maine children
May 5, 2022
To truly recognize April as Child Abuse Prevention Month, investing in abuse and neglect prevention alongside improvements to the intervention system is essential.
More from: Press Herald →
Public health nurses far understaffed as hiring drive stalls, needs remain high
March 27, 2022
The nurses who serve Maine’s poorest families saw their ranks dwindle under former Gov. Paul LePage. They haven’t rebounded much under Gov. Janet Mills.
More from: The Maine Monitor →
Advocates fear Maine’s latest fix for troubled special ed program is moving too fast
March 22, 2022
The Maine Department of Education under Gov. Janet Mills is proposed making local school districts responsible for special education screenings of 3- to 5-year-olds as well as for providing appropriate services to children with disabilities and developmental delays. Those services are currently provided by a state agency.
More from: Bangor Daily News →