To unify, promote and strengthen quality professional family child care in Maine ~

Director of Record Access (DoRA) – found in drop down menu under “My Employment” on MRTQ Registry DoRA needs to be renewed annually.

Early Childhood Educator Workforce Salary Supplement Program

Child Care Affordability Program (CCAP) & Baxter Child Care Management System

Provider Login for “Baxter”
CCAP Provider Resources – State of ME gov page
FCCAM landing page for more specific information regarding CCAP
FCCAM landing page for more background information on Baxter Child Care Management System

Maine Roads to Quality Professional Development Network (MRTQ PDN) –

MRTQ PDN (website home page)
Registry (log in)
MRTQ Training
FCCAM landing page for more specific information regarding MRTQ includes direct links and guidance for accessing MRTQ PDN materials.
Required training for Licensing: found on MRTQ OnDemand Training
- Health and Safety Orientation (6hrs) – 1 time
- Annual Renewal of CCDF Health and Safety 2.0 (3hrs)
- Getting Started in Family Child Care (6hrs) – 1 time for new licensed providers

“Rising Stars” – Maine’s Quality Rating Improvement System (QRIS) –

RS4ME Log in Portal
FCCAM landing page for more specific information regarding Rising Stars (QRIS) includes direct links and guidance for accessing support materials.

Licensing –

OCFS – Office of Child and Family Services / Provider Resources. The state now offers some state samples of required forms.
- Child Care Providers – Licensing Rule and state forms
- FCC sample form page
- *FCCAM’s Sample Care Agreement and Licensing compliance materials are found in our “Business Toolkit”
Background Checks – **Need to be redone every 5 years. Plan ahead to get scheduled before expire.
Water Labs – labs certified by the state to provide the required water tests: first draw (one time test for all providers) and annual water safety test for providers on private wells.
State of Maine Mandated Reporter Training (approximately 1-2 hours)

Maine Department of Labor – any program with staff, whether full or part-time needs to be aware of Labor Rules/requirements

Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) Portal – Any employer with at least 1 Maine-based employee has obligations under Maine’s Paid Family and Medical Leave law. (PFML-specific call center, can be reached at (207) 621-5024 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday.)
required Labor posters (state and Federal) – these posters are required to be easily accessible within the program. They can be posted, or copied and maintained in an easily accessed binder or file.
Maine’s Employee Rights Guide
Employee Law Publications
Forms and Publications

Child Protective Intake Services, 1-800-452-1999, TTY 1-800-963-9490 which is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Any provider suspecting Abuse or Neglect must immediately report this information.

(CACFP) Child and Adult Care Food Program – National / Maine

FCCAM Monthly Meal Deductible Count Spreadsheet

Child Development Resources –

CCIDS – Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies –
- Inclusion Practices Checklist
- Tip sheets & Resources for Growing Early Childhood Practices
CDS – information on Child Development Services in Maine
ECE Consultation for ME (IECMHC) – statewide program for Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation offers free, relationship-based consultation to early care and education programs serving children from birth through age eight.
- Consultants partner with educators and families to:
  - Strengthen children’s social and emotional development
  - Support teachers and staff well-being
  - Foster nurturing, inclusive environments
- Informational Postcard (printable postcard to share with families)
Go NAPSACC – free provider program supporting improving their practices and policies around healthy habits for the children in their care.
- To Join: Contact your state-level Go NAPSACC representative
  karen.bergeron@maine.edu for a registration code.
Let’s Go / MaineHealth
Maine’s Early Learning Developmental Standards (MELDS)~ The Maine Early Learning and Development Standards (MELDS) is composed of 2 parts: ITMELDS (Infant/Toddler birth to 3 years old) / PMELDS (Preschool 3-5 years old).

Business Support:

(EIN) Employer Identification Number – This number works in place of your social security number for business related items (ie. set up a bank account, apply for loans, and paying taxes). It is FREE to register your business with the federal government.
- FCCAM post about the value of an EIN and links for online application and if needed the form for filing.
State of Maine Substitute W-9 & Vendor Authorization Form – To receive money from the State of Maine you must be enrolled in the State’s vendor payment system. Form also is used to update your information.
- Form Instruction sheet.
- Submit the Vendor Activation Form by U.S. Postal Mail to the Agency you are doing business with (e.g. Dept of Human Services, Dept of Labor, etc.). The Agency will enter the information into the system.

Licensing requires FCC providers provide information about community resources which support children and families, we encourage you to share the following 2 statewide service/resource hubs handled by the State of Maine.

Help Me Grow (HMG) Maine is a free service available to children up to eight years of age and their families that connects individuals to information and services about child development and community resources.

AccessMaine is an online resource guide with information to connect people living in Maine to public programs, services, and other resources that are available to provide support they need to be safe, happy, healthy, and successful.

Transition for early childhood special education from Child Development Services (CDS) to School Administrative Units (SAUs) – FAPE

Responsibility for Child Find and the provision of a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) for 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old children with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) will transition from Child Development Services (CDS) to School Administrative Units (SAUs) by July 1, 2028. SAUs have the flexibility to provide these services directly, contract with licensed child care programs, or collaborate with their local CDS Regional Site or other regional partners to ensure high-quality service delivery for eligible children. Preschoolers with IEPs can have placements in community licensed child care programs at Star 3 or higher.

Maine Department of Education and Office of Child and Family Services hosted a webinar on this transition. Here is a link to the recording of the webinar: https://youtu.be/wEDs_YHuJvU?si=o1y4pNgRQDAQbp_n

Here are the slides from the presentation and information memo:

Contacts for more specific questions:

For Child Development Services (CDS) questions and information contact Jackie Hersom, Jacquelyn.N.Hersom@maine.gov.
For questions regarding the transition of FAPE and Child Find contact Sandy Flacke, j.sandy.flacke@maine.gov.
For exploring options to be a collaborative partner for Pre-K programming contact Michelle Belanger, Michelle.Belanger@maine.gov.
For any early care and education questions or concerns contact Tara Williams, tara.williams@maine.gov.