Tag: resources

Posted in ECE Information

CACFP Daycare Home Sponsors by County

Posted on by fccamaine

Androscoggin

Androscoggin Head Start & Child Care      207-795-4046

Catholic Charities      207-786-0925 or 1-800-784-0157

Community Concepts, Inc.      207-739-6615

Family Focus      207-406-4573 ext. 125

Western Maine Community Action (Livermore Falls Area)    207-860-4485 or 207-645-3764  ext. 5272

Aroostook

Aroostook County Action Program      207-768-3026 ext. 325

Horizons Unlimited, Inc.     207-764-6659

Cumberland

Catholic Charities       207-786-0925 or 1-800-784-0157

Family Focus      207-406-4573 ext. 125

Midcoast Maine Community Action      207-442-7963

Franklin

Catholic Charities      207-786-0925 or 1-800-784-0157

Community Concepts, Inc.      207-739-6615

Western Maine Community Action     207-860-4485 or 207-645-3764  ext. 5272

Hancock

Downeast Community Partners     207-667-2995 ext. 224

Kennebec

Catholic Charities       207-786-0925 or 1-800-784-0157

So Kennebec Child Development Corp.      207-582-3110 ext. 36

Knox

Catholic Charities       207-786-0925 or 1-800-784-0157

Penquis      207-973-3506

So Kennebec Child Development Corp.      207-582-3110 ext. 36

Lincoln

Catholic Charities       207-786-0925 or 1-800-784-0157

Family Focus      207-386-1662

Midcoast Maine Community Action      207-442-7963

Penquis       207-973-3506

So Kennebec Child Development Corp.       207-582-3110 ext. 36

Oxford

Catholic Charities       207-786-0925 or 1-800-784-0157

Community Concepts, Inc      207-739-6615

Penobscot

Catholic Charities       207-786-0925 or 1-800-784-0157

Downeast Community Partners       207-667-2995 ext. 224

Penquis       207-973-3506

Piscataquis

Catholic Charities       207-786-0925 or 1-800-784-0157

Penquis      207-973-3506

Sagadahoc

Catholic Charities       207-786-0925 or 1-800-784-0157

Family Focus       207-386-1662

Midcoast Maine Community Action       207-442-7963

Somerset

Catholic Charities        207-786-0925 or 1-800-784-0157

Penquis       207-973-3506

So Kennebec Child Development Corp.       207-582-3110 ext. 36

Waldo

Catholic Charities       207-786-0925 or 1-800-784-0157

Downeast Community Partners       207-667-2995 ext. 224

Penquis       207-973-3506

So Kennebec Child Development Corp.      207-582-3110 ext. 36

Waldo Community Action Partners       207-338-6809

Washington

Downeast Community Partners       207-667-2995 ext. 224

York

Catholic Charities        207-786-0925 or 1-800-784-0157

Posted in ECE Information

Working with Children and Families Experiencing Homelessness

Posted on by fccamaine

We are sharing a new resource recently added to the Maine Roads to Quality (MRTQ) website about supporting children and families that are experiencing homelessness.

As providers we need to be informed about what homelessness is before we can begin to meet a child’s need that is experiencing it. Sadly, too many children in Maine do not need this definition, they have experienced “homelessness” first-hand.

What is the definition of “homeless”?

Section 725 of the federal McKinney-Vento Education Assistance Act defines “homeless” as “lacking a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.” This includes families:

  • Sharing housing with other people due to loss of housing or economic hardship
  • Living in motels or hotels
  • Living in trailer/RV parks or camping grounds due to lack of alternative adequate accommodations
  • Spending nights in non-housing situations, such as sleeping in a car or bus station
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Families experiencing homelessness face many challenges. Having access to quality child care can lessen some the challenges and developmental risks for children experiencing homelessness. Knowing their child is in a safe, nurturing and reliable environment, parents can put more of their focus on reaching their goals for stability in housing.

MRTQ’s page outlines a selection of resources that can help you prepare to support children and families who may be homeless.

If you have a family experiencing homelessness now, how can you as a provider immediately connect them with child care assistance?

  • Contact Maine’s Child Care Development Fund (CCDF) State Administrator for assistance with connecting families to child care subsidy, subsidized child care programs (i.e., Head Start, Educare, etc.), and child care program enrollment.
Posted in ECE Information

Resources for Staying Current on ECE

Posted on by fccamaine

Most family child care providers work over 50 hours a week. Then you add in family life and you do not have much time left. Keeping up on issues and current developments in early childhood education is important for your work, but how can you efficiently do that?

The following linked sites provide you with a mix of respected resources for staying current on national issues related to early childhood education. This, of course, is not all the available resources, but a reliable starting point. Some sites require you to register, but accounts are free. You can also follow many of these resources through social media or by RSS Reader.

  • American Academy of Pediatrics
  • Zero to Three – Provides information and resources on early development for parents, professionals and policymakers.
  • McCormick Center Research Notes – Quarterly digital notes on new research in early childhood leadership.
  • Exchange Everyday – Free digital newsletter for Exchange Press. (Do need to subscribe from this site.) Delivered 5 days a week.
  • Education Week – This website provides information on what is happening across education. They include early childhood education national news.
  • Child Care Aware – Digital newsletter contains national events and research.
  • Children and Nature Network – Resources on working with children in the natural environment.
  • ECEC (Early Care and Education Consortium) – “…. unified collective voice for Providers of high-quality programs and services that support families and children from diverse cultural and socio-economic backgrounds. We are advocates for strong federal and state policies that bring quality to scale.
  • Build Initiative – Supports state work to develop policies and services that serve the needs of young children and their families, using private and public resources.
  • First Five Years Fund – Works to advance federal investment in quality early childhood education for disadvantaged children from birth to age five.
  • National Women’s Law Center – Work on laws and policies that impact women and families.

If you are on Twitter search Twitter #ECE for ongoing ECE announcements and resources.