Bar Harbor, MAINE – Tomorrow, Thursday, January 11, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. in Bar Harbor, Governor Janet Mills will participate in a ribbon cutting ceremony for a new child care center at The Jackson Laboratory (JAX) made possible in part by the Governor’s Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan.
 
The Island of Imagination Early Learning Center, located on The Jackson Laboratory’s Bar Harbor campus, will provide high-quality early learning and care for children of JAX employees and members of the greater community. At full capacity, the new center will accommodate 50 children, increasing the number of licensed child care slots in Bar Harbor by 30 percent. The center currently has 20 children enrolled and is operated by the Down East Family YMCA.
 
Established by JAX as part of an overall effort to invest in the needs of its workforce, including child care, housing, and transportation, the center was made possible in part by a $250,000 investment from Governor Mills’ Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan. 
 
In total, Governor Mills has dedicated $120 million in Federal funding from her Jobs Plan and other sources to strengthen and expand child care options in Maine. As a result of these State and Federal investments, Maine has maintained and built child care slots beyond pre-pandemic levels, created permanent salary supports for over 7,000 child care workers, and incentivized child care construction to add as many as 4,700 new slots. Last week, Governor Mills announced that her Administration had issued the first round of increased and tiered stipends to more than 7,000 child care workers to help qualified professionals remain in the industry and to support providers in retaining staff. 
 
The Governor will be joined by Economic & Community Development Commissioner Heather Johnson and Labor Commissioner Laura Fortman.
 
WHO:      Governor Janet Mills
                Economic & Community Development Commissioner Heather Johnson 
                Labor Commissioner Laura Fortman
 
WHAT:    Opening of the Island of Imagination Early Learning Center
 
WHEN:   Thursday, January 11, 2024 at 11:00 a.m.
 
WHERE:  The Jackson Laboratory
                 640 Main Street
                 Bar Harbor, 04609