Latest News
Higher minimum wage means fewer kids in poverty
June 19, 2019
Kids in Maine are doing better in a lot of important ways. And it’s not an accident. Smart public policies are making a real difference in the lives of Mainers, including our youngest residents.
More from: David Farmer BDN →
Maine Moves Up in National Rankings for Children's Health and Well-being
June 17, 2019
Maine has moved up to ninth place in the national rankings for child health and well-being, according to the latest Kids Count Data Book.
More from: mainepublic.org →
Maine ranks low in increasing insurance rate for mothers
May 22, 2019
According to a new report, Maine ranked among the five worst states in decreasing the uninsured rate for women of childbearing age from 2013 to 2017.
More from: publicnewsservice.org →
Mills amends budget to include 33 more caseworkers to protect vulnerable kids
May 14, 2019
The state's system for protecting children has come under fire since two young girls died in 2017 and 2018.
More from: Press Herald →
We can solve this as a state-- solutions to Maine's daycare desert
April 25, 2019
A specialized facility in central Maine believes they cracked the code for a successful child care model, and it could benefit the entire state.
More from: News Center Maine →
Our View: Maine’s lax vaccine policy is not protecting public health
April 14, 2019
Maine is one of a minority of states that allow parents of schoolchildren to opt out of vaccinations for either religious or philosophical reasons. As a result, Maine children are three times less likely to be vaccinated than the national average, one of the worst rates in the country.
More from: Press Herald →
The smallest amount of effort could have saved this child
April 14, 2019
Before 4-year-old Kendall Chick died on Dec. 8, 2017, from suspected child abuse, and before police would charge her primary caretaker, Shawna Gatto, with her murder, both Gatto and her fiancé – Stephen Hood, Kendall’s paternal grandfather – expressed reservations about whether they could care for the girl at their Wiscasset home, where the state had placed her.
More from: Press Herald →
Aroostook is a great place to live, but not for a shocking number of babies
April 12, 2019
Infant mortality measures the rate of infants born alive who die for any reason during the first year of life. In the 1990s, Maine’s infant mortality rate was the best in the nation. Since then, it has skyrocketed, led by a dramatic increase in the rate of infant mortality in rural Maine — and Aroostook County is driving the trend.
More from: Bangor Daily News →
Aroostook must do something to reduce infant mortality rate
April 9, 2019
Infant mortality measures the rate of infants born alive who die for any reason during the first year of life. In the 1990s, Maine’s infant mortality rate was the best in the nation. Since then, it has skyrocketed, led by a dramatic increase in the rate of infant mortality in rural Maine — and Aroostook County is driving the trend.
More from: fiddleheadfocus.com →
Keep mental health workers in Maine
April 4, 2019
On Thursday, a public hearing will give Mainers a chance to weigh in on emergency bill LD 3, An Act to Enhance and Increase the Availability of Mental Health Providers in Maine.
More from: Bangor Daily News →
1 in 12 Maine babies is born drug addicted, report says
March 29, 2019
A new report finds one in 12 babies born in Maine is born addicted to drugs, according to the 2019 Maine KIDS COUNT Data Book.
More from: WMTW →
Annual Report Shows Troubling Data About Maine Children's Health
March 28, 2019
Prenatal care and children's mental health are among areas of concern identified in the latest Maine Kids Count Data Book. According to the report produced by the Maine Children's Alliance, Maine's infant mortality rate is high, as is the number of children diagnosed with anxiety and depression. But the findings suggest that Maine has made progress in other areas.
More from: Maine Public →