Latest News
Maine Voices: It’s time to work together to strengthen families, keep children safe
January 21, 2022
Many families in Maine experience challenges to providing safe, nurturing homes for their children. In response to recent child deaths, high levels of reports of abuse and neglect and the stressors added by the pandemic, Maine has an obligation and opportunity to respond. We can and must act to build an effective child well-being and family strengthening system with a dual focus on supporting families to prevent maltreatment and effective child protective response when families are in crisis. We all have a role to play in developing a child welfare system that better supports the needs of Maine families; it is up to all of us to work together now to make it happen.
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Child welfare group calling on state to strengthen supports for families
January 19, 2022
The Maine Child Welfare Action Network, a group made of up of several organizations that promote the well-being of children, is calling on the state to strengthen supports for families.
More from: WABI TV →
Why Aroostook County has the most public pre-K students
October 23, 2021
Despite its rural setting and high poverty rates, Aroostook County is leading the state when it comes to pre-kindergarten enrollment. Though enrollment declined statewide during the pandemic, more Aroostook parents opted for public education than any other part of the state, by a wide margin.
Local and state experts say easy access and public investment are a big part of Aroostook’s success. Now legislators and advocates are turning to The County as an example of how public pre-K could expand throughout the state.
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Maine Voices: Doing our part to protect children from COVID-19
October 12, 2021
The Delta variant has brought renewed concern about the risk COVID-19 poses for our children. A recent CDC study indicated that since the rise of the Delta variant, there has been a tenfold increase in hospitalizations for children ages 0-4. It also showed that hospitalizations for unvaccinated adolescents were 10 times higher than for fully vaccinated youth. These numbers demonstrate the alarming and increasing impact of COVID-19 on the health and safety of children.
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Our Child Care System is Broken. Congress Can Fix It.
September 28, 2021
It is time that we, as a nation, confront and commit to resolving the child care challenges hindering many families’ economic security, our children’s long-term success, and the continued prosperity of the economy. Making a substantial and sustained investment in America’s child care and early learning system by approving the funding included in the American Families Plan is a critical step in the right direction.
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Parents tout benefit of child tax credit at event hosted by Gov. Mills, Rep. Pingree
August 18, 2021
The two Democrats want Congress to make the tax credit permanent, saying it provides critical support for child care and other living expenses.
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ME Parents, Advocates: Make Expanded Child Tax Credit Permanent
July 22, 2021
Parents are now receiving fully refundable monthly 2021 Advance Child Tax Credit payments, and advocates for children and families have urged Congress to make them permanent. Nearly one in four Maine families reported difficulty paying for usual household expenses in the last week. The expansion increased the credit to $3,000 annually per child age 6 and up, and $3,600 for kids 5 and younger.
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Maine Voices: It’s time to rethink how we prevent child abuse, neglect
July 2, 2021
The state must prioritize prevention and early intervention services to stabilize struggling Maine families before they are in crisis. The recently reported deaths of four Maine children in the past month send an alarm signal to those concerned with the safety of our children and call for an intensive review, both within state government and in communities across our state, of how these tragic deaths could have been prevented. We should also take this moment to assess how we can prevent the breakdown of healthy family functioning, so fewer children experience the trauma of abuse or neglect.
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'It is a scary time:' Maine child care providers search for more workers
June 1, 2021
As Maine parents with young children try to return to the workplace, they’re facing problems when it comes to finding child care.
More from: WGME →
Maine races to vaccinate kids 12 and older before school breaks for summer
May 13, 2021
Maine faces a tight deadline and familiar access challenges as it works to vaccinate children over 12 against the coronavirus in schools prior to the summer, when access could prove to be more difficult.
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Advocate: Biden's $200 Billion Pre-K Proposal Would Be 'Complete Game Changer' For Maine
May 10, 2021
President Joe Biden is proposing the federal government spend $200 billion to provide universal pre-kindergarten. That proposal would no doubt benefit many, but there could be some hurdles for Maine to overcome. Morning Edition host Irwin Gratz spoke with Maine Children's Alliance Senior Policy Analyst Rita Furlow about the proposal.
More from: Maine Public →
Policies to support Maine children, families should be supported by equity and data
April 9, 2021
The Maine Children’s Alliance is committed to providing data to inform public policy, with the aim that all children thrive and meet their full potential. Where possible, the 2021 Maine KIDS COUNT Data Book highlights 2020 indicators that reflect the current situation for children and families. Earlier figures from 2019 can serve as a baseline for assessing well-being before the onset of the crisis. The Data Book reveals positive trends for children and families as well as key areas of concern.
More from: Press Herald →