An Act To Improve the Delivery of Early Child Care and Education Services
Maine Legislature, Session 126, LD 1383
Committee: Health and Human Services
Sponsors: BERRY, CRAVEN, CASSIDY, FARNSWORTH, POULIOT, ROTUNDO, SANBORN, STUCKEY, LANGLEY
Amends: 22 MRSA §3737

Legislative Document 
No. 1383 
H.P. 982 
House of Representatives, April 9, 2013 
An Act To Improve the Delivery of Early Child Care and Education 
Services 
Reference to the Committee on Health and Human Services suggested and ordered printed. 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Presented by Representative BERRY of Bowdoinham. 
Cosponsored by Senator CRAVEN of Androscoggin and 
Representatives: CASSIDY of Lubec, FARNSWORTH of Portland, McELWEE of Caribou, 
POULIOT of Augusta, ROTUNDO of Lewiston, SANBORN of Gorham, STUCKEY of 
Portland, Senator: LANGLEY of Hancock. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  22 MRSA §3737, sub-§3, as amended by PL 2001, c. 394, §1, is repealed 
and the following enacted in its place: 
3.  Quality differential.  To the extent permitted by federal law, the department shall 
pay a quality differential rate to eligible licensed child care providers for child care 
services, including but not limited to those funded under the federal Child Care 
Development Fund, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program under section 
3762 and the ASPIRE-TANF program under section 3782-A, that meet the corresponding 
standards of the department's child care tiered quality rating and improvement system and 
that qualify based on step assignment and certification under the system for a period of 
time as established in rule adopted by the department.  The department shall pay a child 
care provider that meets the highest level of standards a quality differential of at least 
10% above standard rates.  The department shall pay the quality differential under this 
subsection from Child Care Development Fund quality set-aside funds or from other 
appropriate federal funding sources.  The department shall adopt rules to implement this 
subsection.  Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules as 
defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A. 
Sec. 2.  Rulemaking regarding child care rates.  The Department of Health 
and Human Services shall amend the Child Care Subsidy Policy Manual to establish 
state-paid child care rates at the 75th percentile of the most current local market rate 
survey as required by the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 22, section 3762, subsection 8, 
paragraph E.  Rules adopted pursuant to this section are routine technical rules as defined 
in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A. 
Sec. 3.  Home visiting services collaboration.  The Department of Health and 
Human Services, Bureau of Child and Family Services shall maintain a central listing of 
providers of home visiting services.  In order to minimize duplication of services, 
beginning January 1, 2014, the department shall require that all providers of home 
visiting and other home-based family services that receive funding from the department 
participate in a collaborative process to better define roles and service parameters. 
Sec. 4.  Early Head Start.  The Department of Health and Human Services shall 
direct all new Head Start program funding appropriated for or allocated to Head Start 
program purposes above the level of appropriations and allocations made in the state 
budget for fiscal year 2011-12 and fiscal year 2012-13 to the Early Head Start program 
for use for Early Head Start program enrollees. 
Sec. 5.  At-risk children.  By October 15, 2013, the Child Care Advisory Council 
shall develop a definition of "at-risk child" in order to identify children who require 
assistance but who are not receiving that assistance and to create an eligibility category 
for child care vouchers.  In developing the definition, the Child Care Advisory Council 
shall consider including under the definition children who have had adverse childhood 
experiences and shall work with the Department of Health and Human Services, Bureau 
of Child and Family Services.  By November 30, 2013, the Department of Health and 
Human Services shall by rule adopt a definition of "at-risk child."  Rules adopted 
pursuant to this section are routine technical rules as defined in the Maine Revised 
Statutes, Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A. 
Sec. 6.  Early childhood professional development registry.  By October 15, 
2013, the Department of Health and Human Services shall adopt rules regarding the 
funding and uses of the early childhood professional development registry to diversify the 
funding and uses of the registry.  The department shall develop the rules in conjunction 
with a broadly representative group of stakeholders.  The rules must require the registry 
to be funded by a combination of state funds used for direct services in child care, family 
education and support and early learning and development.  Rules adopted pursuant to 
this section are routine technical rules as defined in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 5, 
chapter 375, subchapter 2-A. 
Sec. 7.  Appropriations and allocations.  The following appropriations and 
allocations are made. 
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF (FORMERLY DHS) 
Child Care Services 0563 
Initiative: Appropriates and allocates funds for the full match to leverage all available 
federal child care development funds. 
Head Start 0545 
Initiative: Appropriates funds for the delivery of Head Start services. 
Purchased Social Services 0228 
Initiative: Appropriates funds for home visiting services. 
GENERAL FUND 
2013-14
2014-15
All Other 
$2,000,000
$2,000,000
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
$2,000,000
$2,000,000
FEDERAL BLOCK GRANT FUND 
2013-14
2014-15
All Other 
$3,000,000
$3,000,000
FEDERAL BLOCK GRANT FUND TOTAL 
$3,000,000
$3,000,000
GENERAL FUND 
2013-14
2014-15
All Other 
$2,000,000
$2,000,000
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
$2,000,000
$2,000,000
SUMMARY 
This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to pay child care 
services at the 75th percentile of the most current local market rate survey and pay a 10% 
premium to providers who meet tiered quality rating standards.  It requires all providers 
of home visiting services to collaborate to better define rules and service parameters, 
directs Head Start program funding to the Early Head Start program, requires the 
department and the Child Care Advisory Council to establish a definition of "at-risk 
child" for the purposes of child care eligibility and diversifies the funding and uses of the 
early childhood professional development registry.  It contains funding appropriations for 
child care, home visiting and Head Start. 
GENERAL FUND 
2013-14
2014-15
All Other 
$2,600,000
$4,900,000
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
$2,600,000
$4,900,000
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, 
DEPARTMENT OF (FORMERLY DHS) 
DEPARTMENT TOTALS 
2013-14
2014-15
GENERAL FUND 
$6,600,000
$8,900,000
FEDERAL BLOCK GRANT FUND 
$3,000,000
$3,000,000
DEPARTMENT TOTAL - ALL FUNDS 
$9,600,000
$11,900,000