On November 28th, members of the Maine State Legislature joined parents, educators, and policy advocates at Educare Central Maine to discuss state policies and funding that prioritize equitable, affordable access to quality early childhood for Maine’s youngest children.
Legislators attending the event were Rep. Kelly Murphy, Scarborough; Rep. Holly Sargent, York; Rep. Margaret Craven, Lewiston; Rep. Dan Shagoury, Hallowell; Rep. Jack Ducharme, Madison; Rep. Ann Matlack, St. George; and Senate President Troy Jackson.
Representatives received a tour of Educare Central Maine and heard from a panel about the state of Early Childhood Education in Maine. The panel included Educare Central Maine Director, Rhonda Kaiser; Heather Marden, Maine Association for the Education of Young Children; and Maine State Parent Ambassador (MSPA) Kasey McBlais. MSPA April Tardiff joined via Zoom to share her inability to find appropriate child care for her infant daughter.
Tracye Fortin, Educare Chief Operating Officer, shared “Within our community and throughout the state and country, Educare Central Maine partners with early childhood champions to educate policymakers and key influencers on the importance of investing in early childhood.” Jeremy Fischer, Educare Central Maine Board of Directors representative, echoed the need to “advance critical legislation and funding that impacts young children, families and the broader early childhood field.”