MAINE STATE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
  • About Us
    • Connect with Us
    • Affiliates & Partners
    • Our Board
    • Meet the Team
    • President's Message
    • External Social Media Policy
  • Membership
    • Benefits of Membership
    • Join the Chamber
    • Return on Investment
    • Member Search
  • Public Policy
    • Public Hearings of Interest
    • Legislation of Interest
    • Public Policy Committees
    • Grassroot Resources
    • Find Your Legislator >
      • Representatives
      • Senators
  • Events
    • Calendar of Events
    • 2022 Annual Meeting
    • Sponsorship Opportunities
    • Business Day at the Statehouse
    • Board Meetings & Board Events
    • DC Fly-In
    • Legislative Social
    • Policy Issues Workshops
    • Regional Breakfasts
    • Scramble for Scholars
    • Webinars by The Maine State Chamber of Commerce
  • Initiatives
    • Campus Career Connect
    • Dream It. Do It.
    • Education Foundation
    • Keep Maine Competitive
    • Maine Economic Research Institute (MERI)
    • This is ME Counting on You
    • Senior Leaders of Tomorrow Development Program
  • Newsroom
    • COVID-19 Resources
    • Impact Newsletter
    • MSCC Blog
    • The Bottom Line
    • The Maine Take
    • Making Maine Work
    • MERI Roll Call
    • OneVoice Maine Magazine
    • Policy Brief Series with Educate Maine
    • Press Kit
  • Member Login

Quality childcare also sets up Maine’s economy for future success

5/20/2021

2 Comments

 
The past week was momentous for the Right from the Start (RFTS) coalition, and more work is coming soon. This entire legislative session has hinged on two important bills – LD 1652, An Act To Build a Child Care System by Recruiting and Retaining Maine's Early Childhood Educators Workforce, and LD 1712, An Act To Support Children's Healthy Development and School Success.
House Speaker Ryan Fecteau’s workforce bill – LD 1652, An Act To Build a Child Care System by Recruiting and Retaining Maine's Early Childhood Educators Workforce – was recently printed, and both public hearing and work session were held within a week of each other. Both were successful as the Joint Standing Committee on Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Business was given powerful testimony and had all their questions expertly answered. You can read the Maine State Chamber’s testimony on LD 1652 here.
 
The next bill – LD 1712, An Act To Support Children's Healthy Development and School Success – was recently printed and received its public hearing on Thursday, May 20 before the Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services. LD 1712 is a complimentary bill to LD 1652. While Speaker Fecteau’s bill addresses quality and shortages in the early education and childcare workforce, President Jackson’s bill aims to improve access to support children and families.
 
Having accessible, affordable, and high-quality childcare is very important for our state. Families need to be able to learn about and access services, and those services need to be delivered by a robust and well-trained workforce. More than 70% of Maine children under the age of six have parents in the workforce. This statistic is part of the current hiring frustrations of our employers. Quality childcare also sets up Maine’s economy for future success. Children who are exposed to quality early education and childcare are 44% more likely to graduate high school, 74% more likely to hold skilled jobs, and earn 26% more as adults. This simply means early education and childcare makes a more productive workforce and increases purchasing power.
 
While this bill helps to develop long-run economic improvements, it can also impact our economy in the short term by helping parents and guardians participate in the workforce. President Jackson’s bill increases access for families by creating a community-based approach to ensuring families find appropriate services. The current system is highly decentralized, leaving families struggling to figure out who to contact and where to find the multitude of services. This new approach will create regional hubs and a centralized information system. By shifting the structure of the system, families will locate services more quickly, have access to services more locally, and have assistance with finding the appropriate services through screening and assessment.
 
If you would like more information about the issues discussed in this article, please contact Simon West by calling (207) 623-4568, ext. 117, or emailing swest@mainechamber.org
2 Comments
Mia Evans link
5/5/2022 02:18:47 am

I totally agree when you said that the families in a certain location or area should know the importance of accessing childcare services with quality workforce. I hope that we can find one that we can trust here in our neighborhood, because I have a son who is turning three. It would be great if he would be prepared as early as now for the environment they might have once they attend preschooling in a few years' time.

Reply
Victoria Addington link
5/5/2022 04:35:09 am

It made sense when you mentioned that early education and childcare are a great way to create a more functional workforce and boost purchasing power in the future. My brother wants to enroll his son in childcare. I think it's a good choice to give a brighter future to his child.

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    June 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    September 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019

    RSS Feed

Copyright Maine State Chamber of Commerce. All rights reserved.
 128 State Street | Suite 101 | Augusta, ME 04330-5630
 Phone: (207) 623-4568
For media inquiries, please contact Jen Webber, (207) 939-0213
For membership inquiries, please contact Mark Ellis. (207) 623-4568
  • About Us
    • Connect with Us
    • Affiliates & Partners
    • Our Board
    • Meet the Team
    • President's Message
    • External Social Media Policy
  • Membership
    • Benefits of Membership
    • Join the Chamber
    • Return on Investment
    • Member Search
  • Public Policy
    • Public Hearings of Interest
    • Legislation of Interest
    • Public Policy Committees
    • Grassroot Resources
    • Find Your Legislator >
      • Representatives
      • Senators
  • Events
    • Calendar of Events
    • 2022 Annual Meeting
    • Sponsorship Opportunities
    • Business Day at the Statehouse
    • Board Meetings & Board Events
    • DC Fly-In
    • Legislative Social
    • Policy Issues Workshops
    • Regional Breakfasts
    • Scramble for Scholars
    • Webinars by The Maine State Chamber of Commerce
  • Initiatives
    • Campus Career Connect
    • Dream It. Do It.
    • Education Foundation
    • Keep Maine Competitive
    • Maine Economic Research Institute (MERI)
    • This is ME Counting on You
    • Senior Leaders of Tomorrow Development Program
  • Newsroom
    • COVID-19 Resources
    • Impact Newsletter
    • MSCC Blog
    • The Bottom Line
    • The Maine Take
    • Making Maine Work
    • MERI Roll Call
    • OneVoice Maine Magazine
    • Policy Brief Series with Educate Maine
    • Press Kit
  • Member Login