Expanding Access to Child Care & Reducing Costs

It’s no secret that there is a critical shortage of child care providers in the state, making it extremely difficult for working parents to find quality child care for their children. With the average price of center-based child care in Maine nearly $12,000 a year, low- and middle-income families are being forced to choose between work and care.

On Wednesday, May 10, at 10am, the Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee will hold a public hearing on a bill that would make childcare more affordable and increase the number of childcare options for working parents. LD 1726, sponsored by Senate President Troy Jackson, would:

• Support Child Care Educators
• Increase wages for child care educators
• Offer paid child care for the children of child care educators
• Increase subsidy eligibility to help families afford child care
• Expand Head Start eligibility and funding so more children have opportunities
• Make a long term plan to reduce child care costs to families, while also investing in child care programs and educators.

There is overwhelming evidence that we must tackle this issue now. In a 2023 survey, forty percent of childcare programs reported being understaffed leaving a gap in the number of children they can serve. It is estimated that we may need to recruit over 1,000 educators to the child care workforce to meet the current needs of programs across the state. A recent study found that are now 280 fewer childcare facilities than two years ago.

If you would like to testify in support of this bill please contact Sarah Bigney McCabe: sarah@maineaflcio.org