On July 1, 2024, Maine’s Office of Child and Family Services launched the Child Care Affordability Program (CCAP) Child Care Employment Award, a 2-year pilot program designed to make child care more affordable for those working in the state’s licensed child care programs. The program is made possible by $2.5 million per year in State General Funds and ends in June 2026.
All staff employed by licensed child care programs are eligible to apply for the Child Care Employment Award to help cover the cost of child care for their children. This includes all staff roles and all types of licensed programs. An applicant’s children can be enrolled in the child care program where the staff member works or at another licensed child care program in the state.
To be eligible for the Child Care Employment award, the parent must be working at and the child must be enrolled in a licensed child care program that is part of Maine’s quality rating and improvement system, in which all staff are in Maine’s early childhood education workforce registry, that is participating in the Salary Supplement Program, and that is a qualified CCAP child care provider.
Payments—which are sent directly to the child care provider—are based on the county where the program is located, the age of the child, and the type of program in which the child is enrolled.
Sources:
Office of Child and Family Services. (2024). Memorandum: CCAP Child Care Employment Award. Maine Department of Health and Human Services.
Connections to Key Early Learning Study at Harvard (ELS@H) Findings:
The early education workforce is the foundation upon which all daily work and any expansion and quality improvement efforts rest. Research suggests that states and cities should invest in the workforce across all early education setting types, focusing on enhancing educators’ professional learning, compensation, and workplace conditions.
Findings from the Early Learning Study at Harvard (ELS@H) show:
- Early educators play a critical role in supporting the well-being of young children and families across setting types.
- Yet their pay, benefits, and other professional supports are often inadequate in light of the job demands and their cost of living.