After months of advocacy, the first regular session of the 130th Legislature is complete. It was an unprecedented year, amidst the twin crises of public and economic health caused by the pandemic; yet it only reinforced the need for advocacy for policies and investments that support the health and well-being of children and families across our state. Read on for more information about some of the key wins from this session!

Early Care and Education

All families should have the resources, opportunities, and support necessary to provide our youngest children with the nurturing relationships and environments necessary to establish a strong, healthy foundation and meet their full potential.

With the passage of LD 1712 , we expand to five new sites a model of high-quality child care within an early childhood system with regional coordination and no wrong door for families to access services. This community-based approach will open new, high-quality child care slots for infants and children; support families through parent education and home visiting; and grow a stronger early education workforce through coaching and professional development. It also establishes the Help Me Grow  model, to promote healthy child development by supporting families and providers to connect children to critical supports.

Early intervention can help children make progress toward developmental milestones, be more prepared for kindergarten, have more positive interactions with peers, and reduce the need for services during their school years. Yet in Maine, too many children have not been receiving interventions early enough or without lengthy waits. With the passage of LDs 135 , 255 , and 386 , Maine will begin to restructure Child Development Services to better support our youngest children to grow and thrive in a healthy way.

Health, Safety, and Well-being

Setting up a child for a healthy future starts with a foundation of good maternal and infant health, affordable comprehensive child health care coverage, and a safe, stable family and home.

High-quality care for mothers after birth helps to identify potential issues and keeps women connected to follow-up care with their physician. The passage of LD 265 will ensure that women who are eligible for MaineCare during pregnancy and birth will have continuous coverage postpartum for up to a year, to support positive outcomes for both mothers and their infants.

Prevention-focused supportive services and resources for families give them the best opportunities to prevent crisis and provide a safe home environment for their children. The passage of LD 497 will ensure there is a plan for child abuse and neglect prevention services in Maine to support and strengthen families and prevent maltreatment.

Brain science shows us a child’s early educational experiences play a significant role in their development in the early years, which can impact short and long-term outcomes. The passage of LD 474 establishes limits on the use and duration of exclusionary discipline in pre-K to grade 5 to keep students connected to the support of their school environment.

It is important to child and youth safety that policies are in place to decrease access to firearms. With the passage of LD 1392 , the state will produce an annual report on firearm injuries and fatalities, which is critical to the development of policy solutions to increase safety. And with the passage of LD 759 , Maine will establish safe storage and child access prevention best practices in statute.

Family Economic and Food Security

When families have opportunities to be successful and meet their basic needs, children thrive, and so does our shared economy.

Providing universal free school meals can eliminate barriers to participation, stigma associated with receiving assistance, school meals debt incurred by districts, and ensure kids get the food they need to learn and thrive. Through the funding for free school meals through LD 1679 , Maine is now one of only a few states taking the lead in recognizing the critical role food security plays in the health, well-being, and academic success of our students.

Paid leave gives new parents time to bond, increases breastfeeding success, increases likelihood of immunizations and check-ups, and increases the likelihood of both parents returning to work. LD 1559 will create a Commission to study and make recommendations for implementation of a paid family and medical leave program in the state– finally passed and on the Governor’s desk.

At its core, the TANF program is intended to ensure children have their basic needs met. Research has shown that strict full family sanctions cause harm to families, disproportionately cutting off families with the greatest challenges and those more likely to be in deep poverty. By lifting the full family sanction, LD 78 will make TANF more effective in helping children and families address the challenges of poverty.

Equity

Lawmakers must know whether policy will contribute to racial disparities and inequities when they are consideration legislation. LD 2 establishes the use of Racial Impact Statements to create a process for requesting and incorporating the information necessary to assess the racial impact of policies.

Through the passage of LD 1034 , we make a critical investment in the work of the Permanent Commission on the Status of Racial, Indigenous and Maine Tribal Populations. This organizing body will help us keep race equity centered in policies and move us closer to the goal of creating equal opportunity for all Mainers to achieve success.

Providing early and equitable care for both mother and child is essential to getting all babies off to a healthy start. Yet in Maine, racial disparities persist in the rates of women who receive timely and adequate prenatal care. Passage of LD 1113 has created an important opportunity for the Permanent Commission to study and develop policy and practice solutions to address this issue.

Important components of the budget “change package” and state American Rescue Plan funds:

Budget ( LD 220 )

• Funding to meet the State’s obligation to pay 55 percent of local education costs
• Expansion of preventive and routine dental care for adults and MaineCare and CHIP eligibility for children under the age of 21 regardless of immigrant status
• Increasing the state Earned Income Tax Credit benefit, and expanding the Child and Dependent
  Care Tax Credit, to conform with federal tax code changes in the American Rescue Plan Act

Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan ( LD 1733 )

• Important investments in child care and early care and education, including $15M for the Department of Health and Human Services grants to renovate, expand and construct child care facilities and $10M for the Department of Education early childhood infrastructure
• Infrastructure and testing investments to ensure public, private, and school and child care drinking water is free of lead and arsenic
• Funding for in-home care services and direct care workforce development
• Includes significant funding for affordable housing and shelters, broadband expansion, health care subsidies, workforce training and development, and economic recovery grants

Carried Over

We look forward to continuing work on the following priority bills to secure their passage and funding, carried over to the second session of the legislature.

LD 372 , An Act To Provide Maine Children Access to Affordable Health Care

LD 1652 , An Act To Build a Child Care System by Recruiting and Retaining Maine's Early Childhood Workforce

LD 1550 , An Act To End the Sale of Flavored Tobacco Products

LD 979 , An Act To Expand Maine's School-based Health Centers

LD 1091 , An Act To Improve the Long-term Outcomes for Youth Transitioning from State Care by Raising the Upper Age Limit for Voluntary Support Eligibility

LD 1501 , An Act To Protect Oral Health for Children in Maine