Report

Child care is an essential support for families, allowing parents to work while their children are cared for during this critical period of their development. However, the cost of child care is a significant burden for families—particularly for families with limited financial resources.

Just the overview of county data from Maine KIDS COUNT, 2019

This report reminds policymakers and child advocates of the barriers that young families face. It examines national and state-level trends — highlighting areas of opportunity and concern — and then shares potential solutions that can help these families thrive.

This report presents findings from a survey of Maine’s early care and education (ECE) teachers and providers about their experiences related to young children with challenging behavior. The Social-Emotional Learning and Development (SELD) Survey was part of a larger study assigned by a committee of the Maine State Legislature to the Maine Children’s Growth Council and two state agencies. 

Research demonstrates that young children thrive when they have strong relationships with caring, responsive adults and when they are provided age-appropriate, stimulating environments. We also know that 67% of Maine children under the age of six have both parents in the workforce and will require care from birth until they reach public school.  

Report to the Joint Standing Committee on Education & Cultural Affairs of the Maine Legislature  • The brain’s architecture is shaped during a child’s early years, establishing a sturdy or shaky foundation for all of the learning and development that follows. Efforts to support the development of both cognitive and socialemotional skills deserve more attention in the design and functioning of early care and education programs.

The demands of living in today’s economy also require us to think in innovative ways about how best to maintain and support Maine’s quality of life.  We simply must provide working families with the resources they need — access to health care, quality education, jobs that pay — that help them support their and their children’s well-being.  

In 2011, an estimated 24.2 percent of Maine’s children under age five lived in poverty and were eligible for Head Start. In 2011- 2012, Maine Head Start served an estimated 28% of income eligible children ages birth to five years old. However, the percent of children being served differs by age. Early Head Start served approximately 11% of the income-eligible infants and toddlers, while Head Start enrolled an estimated 48% of three and four year olds living in poverty.

This report highlights data trends whenever possible. Of overarching concern is that Maine has not improved in a large number of school readiness measures, but remained stagnant or declined over the past 10 years.

Head Start provides early care and education, as well as health, nutrition, mental health, social and family support, to low-income families with children from prenatal to five years old.

The goal of this project is to improve the educational stability of children in the custody of DHHS. To that end, MCA studied the early stages of implementation of the state and federal laws and identified positive advancements and barriers to success. This report includes short- and long-term recommendations on best implementation practices to the stakeholders, including DHHS’s Division of Child Welfare, MDOE, school personnel and other agencies.

Maine currently has the capacity to serve only an estimated 29.5% of the children who are income eligible for Head Start.