AUGUSTA - On Thursday, Gov. Janet Mills signed legislation sponsored by Rep. Rebecca Jauch, D-Topsham, that will create a stakeholder group to identify ways to improve child care availability in Maine.
"This new law will help make progress to ensure child care is more affordable and accessible to all Mainers," said Jauch. "Child care in Maine faces two major challenges: a shrinking pool of providers and a lack of affordability for parents. Not having access to child care is one of the main reasons parents miss work or stay out of the workforce entirely, and this legislation will help us start to address that."
The new law will direct the Children's Cabinet within the Governor's Office of Policy Innovation and the Future to convene a working group composed of early childhood educators, child care providers, state agencies and members of the business community to study issues related to accessing child care.
The working group will explore child care costs for parents and providers, identify policies that have been successful in other states and consider state funding, grant programs, workforce incentives and tax credit options. The legislation will also require the working group to report recommendations back to the Legislature by Jan. 1, 2024.
Maine's child care system does not meet the needs of parents, children or employers, according to a 2022 report by the Council for a Strong America. In 2019, the Maine Children's Alliance calculated there are approximately 54,000 children under age six who need child care in Maine. According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 10% of employed workers in Maine missed work for child care reasons in 2021.
The new law will go into effect 90 days after final adjournment of the Legislative session.
Jauch, a member of the Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee, is serving her first term in the Maine House and represents part of Topsham.