In September 2021, at the direction of Governor Janet Mills, the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) implemented stipends for child care workers using federal relief funding. In October 2022, following the passage of a state budget provision championed by Governor Mills, DHHS continued the $200 per worker per month stipends.
In November 2023, Governor Mills announced a third round of wage stipend increases, funded through the biennial budget. This historic budget doubled state funding for the stipends to $30 million annually. The new monthly stipends, effective as of November 2023, increased to $275 for the first tier of child care workers, $415 for the second tier, and $625 for the third tier, with the tiers based on education and experience. DHHS will also issue an extra $100 per month to child care workers in the third tier to compensate for the additional amount they are owed retroactive to the start of the state fiscal year.
Sources:
Office of Governor Janet T. Mills. (2024, January 5). Mills Administration Issues Pay Increases to Child Care Workers.
Office of Governor Janet T. Mills. (2023, July 11). Governor Mills Signs Historic Budget Into Law.
Maine Revised Statutes, Title 22, Chapter 1052-A, Section 3737-A. (2025).
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.