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Rita Furlow is senior policy analyst at the Maine Children’s Alliance.
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. The comprehensive child care initiative, successfully led by Senate President Troy Jackson, received nearly unanimous support by legislators and was backed by a broad coalition of child and parent advocates, early educators, business and community organizations.
We know from child developmental science that stable, consistent experiences and relationships early in life shape the architecture of the developing brain. Providing a strong foundation for young children is key to future cognitive, social and emotional progress. In short, quality early care and education is important for children.
Yet, families struggle to find affordable care that meets their needs. The national Kids Count Data Book reports that in 2020-2021 in Maine, 15 percent of children birth to age 5 lived in families in which someone had to quit, change, or refuse a job because of problems with child care — the ninth highest rate in the country.
Child care is expensive and increasingly difficult to find. The average annual cost of tuition for an infant in center-based care is $11,960, similar to the $12,000 cost of annual tuition at the University of Maine. Child Care Aware finds that a married couple in Maine with a single child is spending 11 percent of family income, while a single parent is spending 35 percent of their income on child care.
At the same time, early educators receive low wages and few benefits. These low wages cause high turnover rates, which is difficult for child care directors and parents, and especially for young children, who need consistent relationships with caregivers during their early years. Higher wages are critical to attracting and retaining workers in this field.
The budget investments address these issues in several ways. First, more families will have access to state assistance to cover child care costs. The eligibility for Maine’s child care assistance program will be expanded so more working parents can receive financial support. This support comes to families with young children at a time when they are often just starting their careers and are trying to balance expenses including student loans and saving for a home.
Second, the budget provides much-needed financial support for early educators — known as the workforce behind the workforce. The budget will double the state’s investment in a salary supplement program that Gov. Janet Mills began during the pandemic. In addition, a provision will help staff afford to pay for child care for their own children, serving as an incentive to enter or stay in the field.
Finally, the legislation will provide state funds for Head Start, a high-quality early education program for low-income parents that supports the whole family. Head Start is mostly financed by federal funds. The critical state funds included in this budget agreement will allow greater flexibility to support participating Head Start children whose family’s income may increase over federal limits.
The child care provisions are part of an excellent budget package that advances the well-being of Maine children and families. Members of the Appropriations Committee and legislative leaders should be applauded for their months of work to craft a bipartisan budget agreement.
With these investments in child care, Maine will make transformational policy changes to support healthy child development, ensure families have what they need to participate in the workforce, and to more fairly compensate child care providers. These family-friendly policies will help attract and retain workers today and support the healthy development of our children, which will benefit our state now and ensure our future success.