Maine Kids VOICE

URGE THEM TO PROTECT VITAL SERVICES FOR CHILDREN, YOUTH AND PARENTS!

Maine’s children, youth and working parents urgently need your help.

The Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee is working on a plan to close an anticipated gap in the budget for the Department of Health and Human Services.

The Committee is currently considering many of Governor LePage’s original budget proposals. These include:

• Elimination of all state funding for Head Start and Child Care subsidies.
• Reduction of funding for the Maine Families Home Visiting Program.
• Elimination of MaineCare coverage for all 19 and 20 year olds with incomes below 150% FPL and parents with income between 100 and 133% FPL.

TAKE ACTION: Contact your legislator TODAY and urge them to protect these vital programs!

To find out who your legislator is and their contact info, go to the Maine.gov Voter Lookup Website. Fill out your address and town. When the next page pops up, click on elected official tab and that will give you phone number and e-mail for your legislators. Send a quick, short e-mail or call your legislator.  Or you can leave a voice message for your Representative at 1-800-423-2900 and for your Senator at  1-800-423-6900.

The health and well-being of thousands of Mainers is at risk. Things are moving fast in Augusta and if you don’t make your voices heard today or this weekend, you might not get another chance to have an impact.

Please help us send a message that we need our lawmakers to do what is right  — and protect these essential programs.

For those that were not able to participate in the Child Welfare Financing Webinar that was scheduled for Friday, April 20^th , you have another chance! The webinar was postponed and has been rescheduled for Tuesday, May 8^th at 3:00pm EST.

To register, please click on the link below or visit http://action.firstfocus.net/page/s/child-welfare-webinar. You will receive an e-mail with the information to access the webinar within 48 hours of registering.

First Focus, in partnership with Voices for America’s Children and the Maine Children’s Alliance is pleased to host a webinar on Tuesday, May 8^th at 3:00pm EST on “Child Welfare Funding Opportunities: Title IV-E and Medicaid.” The webinar will feature Carl Valentine, of F.C. Valentine and Associates, an expert on child welfare funding streams and focuses on how Title IV-E and Medicaid, when managed creatively, can each increase federal support for comprehensive and flexible child welfare programs.

Federal funds partially offset state and local funding for child welfare. These child welfare investments have long been plagued by a diminishing share of federal government funding. Federally funded child welfare programs include the Title IV-B block grant, the Social Services Block Grant, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) for the first year of foster care and other emergency services, Supplemental Security Income for room and board for disabled children, and the open ended Title IV-E (IV-E) entitlement program for children from low-income families requiring foster care or subsidized adoptions. Since 1980, IV-E has reimbursed states for a portion of the cost to keep eligible children in out-of-home care. Over the course of the program, IV-E foster care eligibility has dropped from about 70 percent in the mid-1980s to less than 50 percent today, largely due to ridged eligibility requirements. For example, the IV-E family income requirement is still based on the federal poverty level from 1995.

Despite these limitations, IV-E is the major federal source of funding for child welfare services, supporting about one-third to one-quarter of the total cost of state programs. In addition, a number of states have used Medicaid to support their child welfare program. IV-E and Medicaid are federal entitlement programs, meaning the federal government guarantees states it will provide its share of the cost of allowable services for eligible children, regardless of spending levels by the state.

We hope you will join us for this webinar to discuss how Title IV-E and Medicaid could be better utilized to improve services and supports for children and families in the child welfare system.

Visit us here.

Contact: Cara Baldari, First Focus, (202) 657-0640

The National Institute of Early Education Research at Rutgers University has released its annual report on pre-K in the United States, “The State of Preschool 2011.”

The 2011 State Preschool Yearbook is the latest edition of an annual report profiling state-funded prekindergarten programs in the United States. Data on state-funded prekindergarten during 2010-2011 school year is presented as well as review of the progress since the first Yearbook collected data on the 2001-2002 school year.

The full report can be accessed here:  http://nieer.org/yearbook/

Maine receives mixed ratings in this report.  The Northeast state profiles can be accessed here: http://nieer.org/sites/nieer/files/2011yearbook_northeast.pdf

The strengths of Maine’s programs continue to be: the requirement for credentialed staff, state early learning guidelines and the requirements for developmental screenings and access to support services.

The weaknesses of Maine’s public Pre-K program according to the NIEER report remain the lack of required quality monitoring and poor staff to child ratios.  In addition to the NIEER standards checklist, other quality issues for Maine’s public pre-K programs include no formal curriculum standards, a low minimum requirement for program length and no standards for parent engagement.

Program quality standards make the difference between programs that work and those that don’t work to support children’s healthy development. Without these factors, some children can spend just as many hours in a program, but not show many positive outcomes.

Programs that rise to the appropriate quality level to ensure successful child and family outcomes have very specific characteristics.  There are two overarching categories of quality: process and structural.

Currently, there are Maine schools that successfully provide high quality public pre-K programming and have risen well beyond the minimum requirements listed above.  Many of these programs are collaborations with high quality, nationally accredited early care and education programs. When public schools collaborate with early childhood providers who are also rising to quality standards well above the minimum requirements of child care licensing, the result is a measurably better experience for the children and parents they serve.

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) has encouraged school departments to seek out these collaborative relationships, and many have demonstrated great success.  There remains, however, a lack of comprehensive requirements to assure all of Maine’s public dollars dedicated to pre-K provide true, long-term results.  Without quality standards for public pre-K, limited resources may be wasted.

Maine’s application for the federal Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge (RTT-EL) grant included an effort to address these issues.  Unfortunately, Maine was not one of the states selected for this funding. Many of Maine’s pre-K programs remain committed to continuous quality improvement. Efforts to support such improvements will continue, but are difficult without the RTT-EL funds.

NIEER credits Maine with having state funded Head Start that increases our ranking in the category of overall investment in pre-K programs.  This funding is currently threatened for elimination in state budget negotiations.  Four-year-olds are included in the Essential Services and Programs funding formula for Maine schools.  Schools collaborating with Head Start and high quality child care programs to ensure the length of day and staff to child ratio are higher than the minimum standards will have difficulty meeting that same quality if state funded Head Start is eliminated.

Multiple studies have shown these early care and education factors to improve outcomes for children:

Qualified and appropriately compensated personnel

Small group sizes and high adult-child ratios

“Program dosage,” meaning a length of day and program year that ensures effective programming—for example, higher risk children benefit most from at least 6 hours a day/full year programming.

Language-rich environment

Developmentally appropriate curriculum

Safe physical setting

Warm and responsive adult-child interactions

Meaningful parent engagement

“A Science-Based Framework for Early Childhood Policy”

www.developingchild.harvard.edu

2012 Maine KIDS COUNT Data Book

Adults without a high school degree are more likely to live in poverty and have poor health outcomes than adults with a high school degree or post-secondary education, according to the 2012 Maine KIDS COUNT Data Book released today by the Maine Children’s Alliance. The book is an annual compilation of evidence-based data on the status and well-being of children in Maine.

John Peters, President of Downeast Energy, talks about the importance of early childhood investments.

This year’s report includes a “Focus on Transition” section that takes an in-depth look at the impact educational attainment has on a student’s future and how well Maine’s students are faring. “Maine’s future economic health absolutely depends on the health and education of our children,” said John Dorrer, Director of Labor Market and Workforce Research at Jobs for the Future, at the release.  “Early investments pay off, and it is critical both for kids and for all of us that older youth in transition receive the support necessary to thrive in the 21^st century economy.”

“A young person who drops out of high school is less likely to have the skills and qualifications necessary to function in today’s increasingly complex society and technology-dependent work place,” John Peters, President of Downeast Energy, said. “As an employer I have seen, first hand, that market needs have shifted over the past decades.  Today, even more than in the past, we need a well-educated workforce – one that understands state-of-the-art technology, as well as the on-going fundamentals like interpersonal skills, a good work ethic and engagement in the community.”

Lynn Ploof-Davis, Director of the University of Maine, Farmington, Upward Bound Program, emphasized

Lynn Ploof-Davis, UMF's Upward Bound Director, stresses the importance of Maine students having access to high-quality and affordable higher education.

that “at-risk youth need targeted services to help them overcome the barriers that prohibit them from achieving.  There are programs that work and those programs have proven over and over again that there are things we can do to help children of all ages reach their educational goals.  We must be willing to intervene on behalf of older youth who might not have benefited from earlier intervention and support. The cost of investment is significant, but the cost of failing to do so is far greater.”

Claire Berkowitz, Research and KIDS COUNT Director of the Maine Children’s Alliance, highlighted other important data points in this year’s book, including that, in 2010 (the most recent data available), 18.2 percent of all Maine children under age 18 were living in poverty—an increase from 17.5 percent in 2009 as reported last year. Among children under age 5, almost 24 percent were living in poverty. “The youngest among us are also the poorest among us,” said Berkowitz.

The Maine KIDS COUNT Data Book is an annual compilation of evidence-based data on the status and well-being of children in Maine. KIDS COUNT, funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, is a project of the Maine Children’s Alliance (MCA) – a non-partisan, non-profit organization committed to improving the lives of all Maine’s children, youth and families through sound public policies.

The 2012 Maine KIDS COUNT Data Book, including summaries by county for many indicators, is available on the Maine Children’s Alliance website, www.mekids.org/2012kidscountdatabook.php.

In its first data snapshot of the year, the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s KIDS COUNT explores the increased number of children living in America’s high-poverty communities. The new snapshot includes the latest concentrated-poverty data for states and for the 50 largest cities, as does the KIDS COUNT Data Center, a source for the most recent national, state and local data on hundreds of indicators of child well-being.

The latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) show that about 8,000, or 3 percent, of  Maine’s children are growing up in areas where at least 30 percent of residents live below the federal poverty level — about $22,000 per year for a family of four. Maine kids can’t realize their full potential without the support of strong families and communities. Yet, research shows that children who live in areas of concentrated poverty are less likely to succeed in school and beyond. Students in low-income schools have lower test scores than those who attend high-income schools, regardless of family income. Check out the new KIDS COUNT Data Snapshot on High Poverty Communities by clicking on the photo below.

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE until 12:01 a.m. EST February 23, 2012

Contact: Sue Lin Chong | 410-223-2836 | media@aecf.org

EDITOR’S NOTE: This updated release includes a correction in paragraph four.

Children Living in High-Poverty Communities Surged 25 Percent Over Last Decade

Kids in the South and Southwest, Minorities, Most Likely to Live in Disadvantaged Areas

BALTIMORE — Nearly 8 million of America’s children live in high-poverty areas — about 1.6 million more since 2000 — according to a new KIDS COUNT^® Data Snapshot from the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

The latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) show that about 7.9 million, or 11 percent, of the nation’s children are growing up in areas where at least 30 percent of residents live below the federal poverty level — about $22,000 per year for a family of four. In 2000, 6.3 million kids, or 9 percent, were living in such communities, which often lack access to resources that are critical to healthy growth and development, including quality education, medical care and safe outdoor spaces.

“Kids in these high-poverty areas are at risk for health and developmental challenges in almost every aspect of their lives, from education to their chances for economic success as adults,” said Laura Speer, associate director for policy reform and data at the Casey Foundation. “Transforming disadvantaged communities into better places to raise children is vital to ensuring the next generation and their families realize their potential.”

The snapshot also indicates that about 75 percent of children in areas of concentrated poverty have at least one parent in the labor force.

According to the ACS, almost all states saw the number of children in high-poverty neighborhoods climb. States with the highest rates were Mississippi (23 percent), New Mexico (20 percent), Louisiana (18 percent), Texas (17 percent) and Arizona (16 percent). Although the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico saw their rates decline over the same period, they continue to have higher rates — 32 and 83 percent, respectively — than any state in the country.

The data also highlight the children most likely to live in areas of concentrated poverty. These include youth in the south and southwest, as well as those in urban and rural areas. African-American, American Indian and Latino children are six to nine times more likely to live in high-poverty communities than their white counterparts.

The new numbers parallel data released in the 2011 KIDS COUNT Data Book, which indicated a significant jump in child poverty over the last decade, as well as an increase in kids living in low-income families.

The new snapshot includes the latest data for states and for the 50 largest cities. This information will be available Feb. 23 at 12:01 a.m. in the KIDS COUNT Data Center, which also contains the most recent national, state and local data on hundreds of indicators of child well-being. The Data Center allows users to create rankings, maps and graphs for use in publications and on websites, and to view real-time information on mobile devices.

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The Annie E. Casey Foundation is a private charitable organization whose primary mission is to foster public policies, human-service reforms, and community supports that more effectively meet the needs of today’s vulnerable children and families. For more information, visit www.aecf.org. KIDS COUNT^® is a registered trademark of the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

Supplemental Budget Update:

Members of the Appropriations Committee came to agreement on the cuts to this current year budget (that runs through June 30, 2012). The next step will be for these budget changes to be voted on in the House and Senate.   You can access the Appropriations Committee documents the approved cuts at http://www.maine.gov/legis/ofpr/appropriations_committee/materials/index.htm

How will the Appropriations Committee 2012 budget agreement affect young children?

Three important early childhood programs – Head Start, Child Care subsidies and Maine Families home visiting program – were not cut in the Committee agreement on the 2012 budget. However, coverage for 14,000 parents whose family income is between 133% and 200% of poverty will be eliminated on October 1, 2012. Reports consistently show that, when parents have access to physical and mental health services, they are better able to care for their children. We believe this agreement is deeply flawed. It will deny health care coverage to thousands of people. But it also protects thousands of others who would have suffered even more under the governor’s original proposal and maintains funding for important early childhood programs for the rest of this fiscal year.

The full legislature will decide soon whether or not to support the agreement.

Next: The 2013 Budget (July 1, 2012 – June 30, 2013)

Members of the Appropriations Committee are now working on the 2013 budget. State funding for Head Start, child care subsidies and home visiting will again be at risk of reduction or elimination by the Committee.

These important programs provide distinct and important services to Maine’s families. The Governor’s proposed cuts that the Committee will again consider would drastically reduce the resources available to Maine’s most vulnerable young children and their families.

What would be the impact of reductions of cuts on these early childhood services?

Child Care Subsidies:

The Governor’s proposed budget would eliminate all state funding of the child care system through the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF). The elimination of this funding will automatically trigger a reduction of federal matching funds, cutting total funding approximately in half. Parents in low wage jobs would lose child care subsidies and be forced into child care arrangements that are inconsistent, unstable and often unaffordable. Research has proven time and again that families are stronger and more economically stable when they have reliable, consistent child care. DHHS estimates that up to 1,600 children would lose a subsidy. This represents approximately half of the total number of children served in 2011.

Subsidies have been shown to help low-income parents find employment and stay employed. These findings are strongest for the most disadvantaged families. Subsidies also reduce job-related disruptions due to child care problems.

CCDF funding is used in two ways in Maine. Most of the funds are used to provide subsidies to families that can document they need this child care in order to continue working. The resources are also used to increase access to quality child care for all Maine families; ensure licensing rules are implemented; and provide consumer information and support for families. In order to ensure the smallest number of families lose a subsidy, the quality initiatives Maine currently supports will need to be significantly reduced.

Maine Families

Maine Families Home Visiting Program delivers evidence-based services to Maine’s most vulnerable infants and young children. Maine Families provides a wide array of critical services focused on concerns such as drug-affected babies and family substance abuse, domestic violence, prevention of abusive head trauma and other severe infant abuse, and multiple areas of health and safety.  The Governor’s proposed budget would eliminate all the home visiting funding from the Fund for a Healthy Maine. This cut, combined with a curtailment (reduction in funding) that went into effect on January 1, 2012, would result in a loss of 68% of the program’s funding.

Maine was recently awarded two federal home visitation grants. One grant is a limited grant intended to support the development of an integrated and cross disciplinary statewide system for home visitation and primarily supporting one demonstration site. The other is a larger four-year grant to expand the existing program in order to reach more high risk infants (esp. drug-affected babies) statewide. Although there is no maintenance of effort (MOE) required for these federal resources, the proposed budget cuts could result in Maine not receiving this funding due to non-supplantation that is included in these grants. Non-supplantation means that new funds cannot be used to replace cuts in a program.

Head Start:

The Governor’s proposed budget eliminates all state funding for Head Start. While DHHS projects that this represents at least 367 designated state funding slots statewide, it is likely many local communities served by Head Start would experience a disproportionate loss. Due to state child care licensing regulations and federal Head Start regulations, programs will be forced to eliminate service in communities. Rural communities without the population density or economies of scale to keep centers open will be most seriously affected. The majority of Head Start parents are working or in school, so this cut will result in low income families losing opportunities to increase their economic independence. Programs are preparing to close centers, which will result in job loss for currently employed teachers, cooks, janitors and other support staff.

TAKE ACTION NOW:

The Maine Children’s Alliance believes these cuts are so deep and pervasive that they will decrease the quality of life for Maine families and communities.

We encourage you to make your opinion heard and speak out against these cuts to valuable early childhood programs. There are a number of ways you can get involved:

• Contact members of the Appropriations committee and your representative and senator to express your support for these early childhood programs. We have developed two template letters that you can personalize.
• Use those same templates to encourage others to contact their legislators, telling them about the importance of early childhood programs.
• Here are links to the committee membership list as well as how to find your Senator or Representative:
  • Appropriations http://www.maine.gov/legis/house/jt_com/afa.htm
  • Find Your Legislatorhttp://www.maine.gov/legis/house/townlist.htmSubmit a letter to the editor of your local newspaper or post information on Facebook.

For more information or assistance drafting letters to legislators or the media, contact Judy Reidt-Parker: jreidtparker@mekids.org or 623-1868 ext. 210

Maine Children’s Alliance

Early Childhood Policy Update

January 25, 2012

__________________________________________________________

The proposed DHHS supplemental budget continues to be the most significant policy issue for children and families this legislative session. Members of the Appropriations and Health and Human Services Committees heard compelling stories from and about people who depend on the important programs and services threatened with elimination or significant reduction during the public hearings in December. Now, members of the Appropriations Committee are continuing their review of the Governor’s proposed budget cuts to DHHS early childhood programs. These include the elimination of all state funding for the child care system and Head Start and a major reduction in funding for the Maine Families home visiting program. Health care for low income parents is also threatened to be cut.

These important programs provide distinct and important services to Maine’s families. The Governor’s proposal would drastically reduce the resources available to Maine’s most vulnerable young children and their families. Here is a summary of the impact these cuts would have:

Child Care Subsidies:

The proposed budget eliminates all state funding of the child care system through the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF). The elimination of this funding will automatically trigger a reduction of federal matching funds, cutting total funding approximately in half. Parents in low wage jobs would lose child care subsidies and be forced into child care arrangements that are inconsistent, unstable and often unaffordable. Research has proven time and again that families are stronger and more economically stable when they have reliable, consistent child care. DHHS estimates that up to 1,600 children would lose a subsidy. This represents approximately half of the total number of children served in 2011.

Child Care Budget Cuts: Impact Analysis

Current Investment: State $ 4,442,236 Federal: $16,835,723

Proposed State Reduction: $4,442,236

Remaining State Investment: $0

Loss of Federal Resource: $6,025,942

Remaining Federal Investment: $9,989,754

Subsidies have been shown to help low-income parents find employment and stay employed. These findings are strongest for the most disadvantaged families. Subsidies also reduce job-related disruptions due to child care problems (Daily et al., 2011).

CCDF funding is used in two ways in Maine. Most of the funds are used to provide subsidies to families that can document they need this child care in order to continue working. The resources are also used to increase access to quality child care for all Maine families; ensure licensing rules are implemented; and provide consumer information and support for families. In order to ensure the smallest number of families lose a subsidy, the quality initiatives Maine currently supports will need to be significantly reduced.

Maine Families

Maine Families Home Visiting Program delivers evidence-based, costeffective services to Maine’s most vulnerable infants and young children. Maine Families provides a wide array of critical services focused on concerns such as drug-affected babies and family substance abuse, domestic violence, prevention of abusive head trauma and other severe infant abuse, and multiple areas of health and safety.  The proposed budget reduces all the home visiting funding from the Fund for a Healthy Maine. This cut, combined with a curtailment (reduction in funding) that went into effect on January 1, 2012, would result in a loss of 68% of the funding.

Home Visiting Budget Cuts: Impact Analysis

Current Investment: $ 4,171,383 (after $500,000 curtailment)

Proposed Reduction: $ 2,671,383 (All Fund for a Healthy Maine home visitation funding)

Remaining Investment: $ 1,500,000

Maine was recently awarded two federal home visitation grants. One grant is a limited grant intended to support the development of an integrated and cross disciplinary statewide system for home visitation and primarily supporting one demonstration site. The other is a larger four-year grant expand the existing program in order to reach more high risk infants (esp. drug-affected babies) statewide. Although there is no maintenance of effort (MOE) required for these federal resources, the proposed budget cuts could result in Maine not receiving this funding due to non-supplantation that is included in these grants. Non-supplantation means that new funds cannot be used to replace cuts in a program.

Head Start:

The proposed budget eliminates all state funding for Head Start. While DHHS projects that this represents at least 367 designated state funding slots statewide, it is likely many local communities served by Head Start would experience a disproportionate loss. Due to state child care licensing regulations and federal Head Start regulations, programs will be forced to eliminate service in communities. Rural communities without the population density or economies of scale to keep centers open will be most seriously affected. The majority of Head Start parents are working or in school, so this cut will result in low income families losing opportunities to increase their economic independence. Programs are preparing to close centers, which will result in job loss for currently employed teachers, cooks, janitors and other support staff.

Head Start Budget Cuts: Impact Analysis

Current State Investment $ 3,803,455

Current Federal Investment: $28,548,027

Proposed State Reduction: $ 3,803,455

Remaining State Investment: $ 0

MaineCare:

Coverage for 21,000 parents whose family income is between 100% and 200% of poverty would be eliminated. Healthy families are what make the difference for a child’s well-being. When parents have access to physical and mental health services they are better able to care for their children.

ADVOCACY ACTION:

The Maine Children’s Alliance believes these cuts are so deep and pervasive that they will decrease the quality of life for Maine families and communities.

We encourage you to make your opinion heard and speak out against these cuts to valuable early childhood programs. There are a number of ways you can get involved:

• Contact members of the Appropriations committee and your local representative to express your support for these early childhood programs. We have developed two template letters that you can personalize.
• Use those same templates to encourage others to contact their representative and senator, telling them about the importance of early childhood programs.
• Here are links to the committee membership list as well as how to find your Senator or Representative:
  • Appropriations http://www.maine.gov/legis/house/jt_com/afa.htm
  • Find Your Legislator http://www.maine.gov/legis/house/townlist.htm
• Submit a letter to the editor of your local newspaper or post information on Facebook.

For more information or assistance drafting letters to legislators or the media, contact Judy Reidt-Parker: jreidtparker@mekids.org or 623-1868 ext. 210

The Governor’s proposed budget cuts to DHHS programs included significant cuts to Head Start, child care subsidies and the home visiting program. These important programs provide very distinct and important services to Maine’s families. The Governor’s proposal would:

• Cut 1 in 10 children currently enrolled in Head Start from the program. The majority of Head Start parents are working or in school, so this cut will result in low income families losing opportunities to increase their economic independence.
• Eliminate child care subsidies for half of the families currently receiving them. Parents in low wage jobs will be forced to have inconsistent and unstable child care arrangements, and may lose their jobs. Research has proven time and again that families are stronger and more self-sufficient when they have reliable, consistent child care. This proposed cut eliminates close to $6 million of federal money.
• Eliminate home visiting services for approximately 1,200 families. This proposed cut threatens a significant loss of up to $3 million federal dollars.

In addition, MaineCare coverage for 21,000 parents whose family income is between 100% and 200% of poverty would be eliminated. Healthy families are what make the difference for a child’s well-being. When parents have access to physical and mental health services they are better able to care for their children.

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN AUGUSTA?
The early childhood community turned out in force at the public hearings held December 14th, 15th and 16th, 2011 at the State House. Members of the Appropriations and Health and Human Services committees heard compelling stories from and about people who depend on the important programs and services threatened with elimination or significant reduction. The Maine Children’s Alliance provided testimony in opposition to the cuts that would affect not only young children but older children, young adults and families as well. MCA believes these cuts are so very deep and pervasive that they will decrease the quality of life for children and Maine communities.

The December hearings were just the beginning of a budget process. The Appropriations Committee and the Health and Human Services committee have begun work on trying to fully understand all the proposed cuts and the impact on Maine citizens. Maine has always been forward thinking when it comes to ensuring that our state budget works to reflect our shared values and priorities – a shared concern for the common good. And we have met challenges, even in tough economic times; by making sure those values guide our decisions. We ask you to join us in letting your legislators know you support these important programs.

ADVOCACY ACTION:
We encourage you to make your opinion heard. There are a number of ways you can get involved:

• Contact members of the Appropriations and the Health and Human Services committees and express your support for these early childhood programs. We have developed two template letters that can be adapted for your individual perspective.
• Use those same templates to encourage others to contact their representative and senator, telling them about the importance of early childhood programs.
• Here are links to the committee membership list as well as how to find your Senator or Representative:
  • Appropriations http://www.maine.gov/legis/house/jt_com/afa.htm
  • Health and Human Services http://www.maine.gov/legis/house/jt_com/hum.htm
  • Find Your Legislator http://www.maine.gov/legis/house/townlist.htm
• Submit a letter to the editor of your local newspaper or post information on Facebook.

For more information or assistance drafting letters to legislators or the media, contact Judy Reidt-Parker: jreidtparker@mekids.org or 623-1868 ext. 210

Early Childhood Care Highlighted at State House Event

Augusta, ME (January 9, 2012)–By 2030, today’s babies will be entering the workforce or pursuing post-secondary education, and the time to invest in their success is now. Nearly 14,000 babies are born every year in Maine, and for these children to grow up to become a productive workforce they need a supportive infrastructure that paves the way for positive growth and development. That’s the central message of the 8th annual Infant Toddler Awareness Day held at the State House, Hall of Flags, Tuesday, January 10, 11 am-1 pm.

Speakers at the event include: Mary Mayhew, Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Commissioner; James A. Clair, CEO of Goold Health Systems; and Ed Cervone, co-chair of Maine Children’s Growth Council. Legislators are expected to attend and visit the event’s tables, which are organized by geographical region in order to best represent the services offered to young children and their families across Maine.

DHHS is in the spotlight as state lawmakers debate budget cuts–some of which directly affect Maine’s youngest citizens. Commissioner Mayhew will address the importance and challenges of support for early childhood programs.

Clair chairs the newly formed Maine Early Learning Investment Group, which brings together top business leaders who are dedicated to offering support for early childhood efforts statewide.

Cervone will introduce the Maine Children’s Growth Council’s report, Invest Early 2020: Building the Foundation for Maine’s Future, which outlines the critical need for high-quality early childhood programs in order to ensure Maine’s future prosperity. The reports states: “Promoting early childhood experiences that are nurturing, stable, and interactive for all young children regardless of income or where they live, and preventing adverse experiences, can lift us above the negative trends occurring in our economy.”

Child care professionals and early childhood advocates from all over Maine will meet with their legislators at the Hall of Flags to offer information and illustrate how investing in our youngest children pays off in the long run.

For more information, please contact:
Karen White
Team Leader, Maine Infant Toddler Initiative
(207) 749-7638
kwhite@usm.maine.edu

Donna Overcash
Child and Family Policy Consultant, Maine Children’s Growth Council
(207) 620-4030
donnaovercash@roadrunner.com

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2012 begins with some great news here at the Maine Children’s Alliance! We are delighted to welcome Mary McPherson to our staff. Mary has long served as a key advisor and as a consultant to the Maine Children’s Alliance. We are very fortunate that the MCA will benefit even more with her on staff as Senior Policy Analyst.

Mary’s impressive resume includes decades of experience in health care, low income and women’s advocacy, leadership development, and communications. Mary has recently served MCA in several capacities, including founding the New England Consortium, a regional collaboration devoted to federal issues affecting children in poverty. She has also served as Health Policy Analyst and Public Education Director at Maine Equal Justice Project, Executive Director of the Maine Women’s Lobby, and owner/manager of WAVX Radio in Rockland, among many other hats she has worn very well.

The MCA has come to rely upon Mary’s wisdom, judgment, and vision over the years. As Senior Policy Analyst for the organization, we stand to benefit even more. Most importantly, Maine children will be the ultimate beneficiaries of this terrific new addition to our staff. Please join us in welcoming Mary McPherson! Best wishes for the New Year to one and all!