Changes in our economy have resulted in increasing pressures on Maine families. With 69 percent of Maine children under the age of six having both parents working to make ends meet
, families need more resources available to help them care for their children. A high-quality system of child care that meets the needs of children and families is essential to not only the healthy development of young children but to the Maine economy. 
The annual average cost for infant care at a child care center in Maine is $9,512. This is slightly higher than the average cost of tuition and fees for a student at a public university in Maine(1) .
As a result, many parents of young children are struggling to make ends meet. According to the 2015 Maine Child Care Market Rate Surve
y
, a single parent at the median income level in Maine would spend more than 25 percent of their income on full-time center based care, regardless of their child’s age. The cost of infant care is an even greater strain on the family’s economic well-being costing approximately 43 percent of their income.
However, while child care costs have increased, taking an even bigger part of a family’s budget, Maine’s investment in the child care system has plummeted over the past decade. In FY 2006-2007, Maine spent over $39.5 million in combined federal and state Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG)
funds to support child care (2). According to Maine’s most recent Child Care Advisory report, the combined allocated funding in FY 2015 is at $21.7 million (3). 
In 2014, Maine’s CCDF system served less than half the number of children served in 2006:
2,600 vs. 5,400 (4,5). Because Maine's child population declined during that same time period, we should expect some decline in the number of children served through CCDF. However, back in 2006 Maine CCDF served an estimated 3.2% of Maine children under age 12, but only 1.5% in 2014. If CCDF had continued to serve 3.2% of that population group, 5,100 children under age 12 would have been served through CCDF in 2014, not 2,600.
Research shows that working parents who receive child care assistance experience fewer missed days, schedule changes, and lost overtime hours. (CITE)Unfortunately, high quality, dependable child care is out of reach for many Maine families.
Maine Parents
The annual average cost for infant care at a child care center in Maine is $9,512. This is slightly higher than the average cost of tuition and fees for a student at a public university in Maine(1) .
As a result, many parents of young children are struggling to make ends meet. According to the 2015 Maine Child Care Market Rate Surve
y
, a single parent at the median income level in Maine would spend more than 25 percent of their income on full-time center based care, regardless of their child’s age. The cost of infant care is an even greater strain on the family’s economic well-being costing approximately 43 percent of their income.
However, while child care costs have increased, taking an even bigger part of a family’s budget, Maine’s investment in the child care system has plummeted over the past decade. In FY 2006-2007, Maine spent over $39.5 million in combined federal and state Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG)
funds to support child care (2). According to Maine’s most recent Child Care Advisory report, the combined allocated funding in FY 2015 is at $21.7 million (3). Maine Children
Given the drop in funding for care, it is not surprising that Maine has seen a corresponding drop in the number of children served in the CCDF system. In 2014, Maine’s CCDF system served less than half the number of children served in 2006:
2,600 vs. 5,400 (4,5). Because Maine's child population declined during that same time period, we should expect some decline in the number of children served through CCDF. However, back in 2006 Maine CCDF served an estimated 3.2% of Maine children under age 12, but only 1.5% in 2014. If CCDF had continued to serve 3.2% of that population group, 5,100 children under age 12 would have been served through CCDF in 2014, not 2,600. The Maine Children’s Alliance believes that this lack of investment in child care, along with stark changes in polices relating to payment rates to providers can explain the significant drop in the number of child care providers who are willing to accept subsidy payments from the CCDF system.Data from the Office of Child Care reveals that the number of child care providers accepting CCDF payments declined from almost 2,500 providers in 2006 to just under 1,000 providers in 2014 (6,7).
Maine Solutions
It is because of these disturbing trends that the Maine Children’s Alliance believes that the new State Child Care Plan is so crucial for Maine children and families.The bipartisan changes in law and policy made to the CCDBG program in 2014 provide the state of Maine an opportunity to move in a new direction—a better direction for our kids. We simply cannot tell thousands of Maine parents that they must figure out a solution for child care on their own. It is not just low income parents who are struggling with the cost of child care, but moderate income parents as well. It is especially difficult for parents with multiple children in care and/or have educational debt. We hope this three-year plan is just the beginning and can steer us down a road recognizing the importance of child care to families and their children, providers, and Maine’s economic future. Let’s use this opportunity to make Maine a better place to raise a family, a better place to care for a child and a better place to be a kid.--- References:
- Child Care Aware® of America’s January 2015 survey of Child Care Resource and Referral State Networks
- Center for Law and Social Policy, Maine Child Care Assistance State Profile,
- Maine Child Care Advisory Council Report, January 2016
- Office for the Administration of Children & Families, FY 2006 CCDF DATA TABLES (FINAL DATA, JULY 2008)
- Office for the Administration of Children & Families, FY 2014 Preliminary Data Table 1 – Average Monthly Adjusted Number of Families and Children Served
- Office for the Administration of Children & Families, FY 2006 CCDF DATA TABLES (FINAL DATA, JULY 2008)
- Office for the Administration of Children & Families, FY 2014 Preliminary Data Table 7 - Number of Child Care Providers Receiving CCDF Funds