We are the ones with the first hand knowledge of what our day is filled with. What services we provide families in caring for their children. What is needed for our businesses to be sustainable while offering quality care. It is important that as providers we understand that we are continually advocating for our personal small businesses and our early childhood education and care profession with every contact we have with potential clients, members of our communities and the families receiving our serves.
The FCCAM Public Policy Committee understands how important it is to also be providing our knowledge about our profession to the legislators writing, hearing and adopting Bills that directly impact our small businesses. Legislators are open to hearing our thoughts and respect that we have first-hand knowledge about the issues we are speaking to. We know it’s almost impossible for providers to offer in-person testimony, but you can provide written testimony very easily through Maine’s online/digital submission of testimony option.
FCCAM believes it’s important for all providers to become informed and lend their voices to the discussion on the Bills that can impact our small businesses and the education and care we provide children.
There are currently 2 Bills that will have impact on our profession that have been printed with public hearings scheduled for May 10th. Written testimony needs to be received by May 9th, so committees have it prior to the public hearing. FCCAM is submitting written testimony in support of these Bills, but we encourage providers to read the Bills and submit testimony themselves.
FCCAM believes strongly that:
- Child care is the workforce behind Maine’s workforce.
- Without child care, parents cannot go to work or go to work full time. That hurts their families, businesses’ production and Maine’s economy.
So what’s in these bills?
Following are some of keys points that have been shared by a variety of organizations FCCAM partners with around Public Policy and Advocacy for family child care.
LD 1726: An Act to Build Maine’s Economy by Supporting Child Care for Working Families – Sponsored by Senate President Troy Jackson will be heard by the Health and Human Services Committee.
Just a few of the reasons FCCAM supports this Bill:
- Seeks to increase the monthly wage supplement for child care providers to $400 a month
- Continues to reimburse child care providers who accept subsidy based on enrollment, not attendance
- Increases child care subsidy eligibility for families from 85% state median income to 125% state median household income
- Creates a scholarship program for child care providers’ children needing child care
- Works towards a Cost of Care Model – The estimator tool must be publicly accessible. Reflect the true cost of providing child care which would include:
- A. Include a living wage compensation scale for early childhood educators pursuant to the recommendations of the Child Care Task Force established in section 3740-E;
- B. Include regional differences in costs;
- C. Include employee salaries and benefits;
- D. Include facility costs;
- E. Include costs associated with compliance with statutory and rule requirements, including the child care quality rating system participation under section 3737, subsection 3 and specific costs associated with each step of the rating system and any quality indicators used
- Renames Child Care Subsidy Program to Child Care Scholarship Program
- Increases state funding for Head Start programs
- Make internal and more timely Office of Children and Family Services’ processes and payments
- Establishes a Child Care Task Force that consists of 14 members – 2 of which would be fcc providers.
- Establishes an independent appeals process for child care providers regarding OCFS licensing decisions
- Develop a long-term plan for limiting child care costs for families to no more than 7% of income for families earning up to 250% of state median income beginning in 2030
Here is a sample testimony format for LD 1726:
Testimony of _____________________
In support of LD 1726 An Act to Build Maine’s Economy by Supporting Child Care and Working Families
Senator Baldacci, Representative Meyer, and distinguished members of the Health and Human Services Committee, my name is ______________________ and I am (share who you represent or if you are a parent of young children). I’m testifying in support of LD 1726 An Act to Build Maine’s Economy by Supporting Child Care and Working Families.
Share why you support and use personal examples and/or data. You can speak to some of the questions below:
Why do you support raising child care educator wages?
Why do you support Maine developing a cost model tool that better supports our understanding of what it costs to provide quality care and education?
Why do you support raising subsidy eligibility for Maine’s lower income families?
Why do you support more stable funding for child care programs by ensuring that subsidy reimbursement covers days when children are absent from their program?
Why do you support Maine developing a long term plan to increase investments in child care programs while also increasing subsidy eligibility?
Why do you support providing funding to pay for child care for child care employees?
Why do you support shortened time periods for determining subsidy eligibility?
Why do you support shortened time periods for child care programs receiving subsidy reimbursement?
LD 1799: An Act to Expand Maine’s High-quality Early Learning and Care for Children by Increasing Public Preschool Opportunities in Communities Sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Eloise Vitell will be heard by the Education and Cultural Affairs Committee
2 of our Key takeaways:
- The department shall establish a working group of stakeholders to explore expansion to full-day preschool and pathways for child care programs to become publicly funded.
- A new Commission to Study Governance and Funding in Early Care and Early Childhood Education,will include Five representatives of early childhood educators and providers of services for children who are under 5 years of age, 2 appointed by the President of the Senate and 3 appointed by the Speaker of the House.
Here is a sample testimony format for LD 1799:
Testimony of _____________________
In support of LD 1799: An Act to Expand Maine’s High-quality Early Learning and Care for Children by Increasing Public Preschool Opportunities in Communities
Senator Rafferty, Representative Brennan, and distinguished members of the Education and Cultural
Affairs Committee, my name is______________ and I am (share who you represent or if you are a parent of young children). I’m testifying in support of LD 1799: An Act to Expand Maine’s High-quality Early Learning and Care for Children by Increasing Public Preschool Opportunities in Communities.
Share your why…………….
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