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Eglinton named executive director of Maine Children's Alliance

December 12, 2019

The Maine Children’s Alliance has hired Stephanie Eglinton as its new executive director. Eglinton brings extensive experience with Maine’s philanthropic and nonprofit communities. Most recently, she worked as a senior program officer at the Maine Community Foundation, where she led the foundation’s statewide initiative to improve outcomes for young children in Maine.

10 years of failing to raise the federal minimum wage

November 27, 2019

Raising the minimum wage isn’t the only solution to reducing poverty or increasing standards of living, but it certainly helps. For this reason, Maine can serve as one example for why the federal minimum wage should be increased.

Gender pay gap is real and pervasive in Maine

November 24, 2019

In Maine, it is illegal for an employer to pay one worker less than another for the same work. However, pay disparity between men and women continues to persist in our state. We hear every day from individuals who find out they’re paid less than their male counterparts, even in 2019.

Maine foster children linger in state care longer than most states

November 17, 2019

Extended stays – the state's 21-month-long median duration is the nation's third-highest – contribute to worse outcomes for children, research suggests.

Maine highest rate of uninsured children in Northeast in 2018

October 30, 2019

Maine had the highest rate of uninsured children in the Northeast in 2018, according to new findings. The Georgetown University Center for Children and Families released a report today that detailed how larger numbers of children have been uninsured since 2016, reversing a nearly decade-long trend in the United States.

Foster system is broken

September 27, 2019

Maine’s foster kids are underserved. This incredibly vulnerable population is often subject to trauma upon trauma from an unstable, neglectful or possibly abusive home to removal from that home and entry into a system that struggles to meet their basic needs — not to mention their emotional ones.

Many Maine Families Have Bounced Back from Recession, Out of Poverty

September 24, 2019

The number of Maine children living in concentrated poverty is back to pre-recession levels, according to a new data snapshot released today by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

High-quality child care improves lives and is a good return on investment

September 12, 2019

The rising cost of child care is putting a strain on hard-working families across our nation, and Maine is no exception. The burden of cost is one that must be addressed to ensure parents can work and children can get the care they need to thrive. Providing access to high-quality, affordable child care is essential to ensuring our children have a strong foundation for future success.

State Strategies to Reduce Child Poverty

July 11, 2019

There is momentum around the country to reduce child poverty. Hear from advocates in Wisconsin, Maine, and California who are involved in state campaigns to end child poverty. They will share lessons learned, best practices, and ways to take action.

Bill passage a win for those educators working with children with challenging behaviors

July 9, 2019

In the flurry of bills passing in the Legislature and getting signed by Governor Mills, one has gotten less attention than it deserves: LD 997, “An Act to Promote Social and Emotional Learning and Development in Young Children,” sponsored by Senator Cathy Breen from Cumberland County.

Kids Count 2019: A Rising Tide, Maine's Meteoric Rise, and Children of Color Still Left Behind

July 3, 2019

Child well-being has improved nationwide since the start of this decade, according to the 2019 Kids Count Databook released recently by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. But it’s especially better in Maine.

More from: chronicleofsocialchange.org →

Child Care in Maine: Identifying the Problems and Innovative Programs & Solutions

June 28, 2019

We wrap up Maine Public's special child care series with a conversation about challenges and priorities for child care in Maine. What are some potential solutions or paths forward? What is being done elsewhere that is a model for our state? And are there policies or programs that show promise for alleviating the child care crisis?