An Act To Strengthen the Maine Children's Growth Council
Maine Legislature, Session 128, LD 0038
Committee: Health and Human Services
Sponsors: MILLETT, FARNSWORTH, BREEN, CARSON, LANGLEY, MAKER, VITELLI, DAUGHTRY, PIERCE, POULIOT
Amends: 5 MRSA §24001, 5 MRSA §24002

Legislative Document
No. 38
S.P. 17
In Senate, January 10, 2017
An Act To Strengthen the Maine Children's Growth Council
Reference to the Committee on Health and Human Services suggested and ordered printed.
HEATHER J.R. PRIEST
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator MILLETT of Cumberland.
Cosponsored by Representative FARNSWORTH of Portland and
Senators: BREEN of Cumberland, CARSON of Cumberland, LANGLEY of Hancock, 
MAKER of Washington, VITELLI of Sagadahoc, Representatives: DAUGHTRY of 
Brunswick, PIERCE of Falmouth, POULIOT of Augusta.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  5 MRSA §24001, sub-§8, as amended by PL 2011, c. 388, §2, is further 
amended to read: 
8.  Staffing; funding.  The council may hire staff as necessary for its work and as 
resources permit.  The council may request staff assistance from the Child Development 
Services System under Title 20-A, section 7209 and the Department of Health and 
Human Services.  Upon request, the Child Development Services System and the 
Department of Health and Human Services shall provide staff assistance to the council.  
The council may accept grant funding and other funding as may be available for the work 
of the council.   
Sec. 2.  5 MRSA §24002, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2011, c. 388, §3, is further 
amended to read: 
1.  Duties.  The duties of the council include, but are not limited to: 
A.  Reviewing and addressing recommendations of legislative studies and advisory 
committees regarding young children and the Children's Cabinet; 
B.  Adopting and updating a long-term plan for investment in the healthy 
development of young children that will achieve sustainable social and financial 
investment in the healthy development of young children and their families. 
(1)  In adopting and updating the plan the council shall consult and coordinate 
with members of the public, the Children's Cabinet, the Department of Education, 
the Department of Health and Human Services and advocates, community 
agencies and providers of early care and education and services to children and 
their families; monitor and evaluate progress in accomplishing the plan's vision, 
goals and performance indicators and best practice research; and consider the 
changing economic and demographic conditions and the effect of investments on 
economic growth and productivity. 
(2)  The plan must include strategies: 
(a)  To create and sustain a unified, statewide early childhood services system 
that provides essential resources for children, shares common standards for 
quality, respects the diversity and uniqueness of young children and their 
families, reflects a commitment to sustainable growth, includes family 
representation, recognizes the importance of child care in sustaining 
employment for parents and recognizes the value of new forms of 
cooperation among government, business and society in achieving the goals 
of the plan; and 
(b)  For overall investment and prioritization of early childhood and 
education programs, services and initiatives and to address workforce 
education and training issues, utilization of community partners across the 
state State and investments in technology and infrastructure; and 
C.  Reporting by January 15, 2011 2018 and every 2 years annually thereafter at the 
start of the first regular session of the Legislature to the Governor, the Legislative 
Council and the one or more joint standing committees of the Legislature having 
jurisdiction over health, human services, taxation and education matters on the 
activities and accomplishments of the council Maine Children's Growth Council and 
its long-term plan for investment in the healthy development of young children, and 
issuing such other reports as the council Maine Children's Growth Council 
determines to be appropriate.  The annual report must include, but is not limited to: 
(1)  A description of the involvement of each state agency listed in section 24001, 
subsection 3, paragraphs K and L in providing early childhood and education 
services to young children;  
(2)  A description of the plans and goals of each state agency listed in section 
24001, subsection 3, paragraphs K and L as those plans and goals affect the 
provision of services to young children; 
(3)  Recommendations for changes to laws and rules to reduce barriers to 
collaboration and coordination among federally funded and state-funded 
programs and services for young children and their families and to improve the 
quality of programs and services for young children statewide.  The 
recommendations must include, but are not limited to, methods to: 
(a)  Promote statewide the availability of services and programs for young 
children and their families; 
(b)  Promote statewide the financial resources available to young children 
and their families for early childhood and education programs and services; 
and  
(c)  Enhance early childhood and education programs and services for young 
children, including child development services, education services, 
supervision services, health services and social services; 
(4)  A proposed budget for the implementation of the council's recommendations; 
and 
(5)  Suggested legislation needed to implement the council's recommendations;  
D.  Developing and periodically updating a process for evaluating the council's 
effectiveness in performing its duties and for evaluating progress in accomplishing 
the long-term plan's visions, goals and performance indicators pursuant to paragraph 
B, subparagraph (1); and 
E.  In accordance with the process developed under paragraph D, periodically 
performing an evaluation of the council's effectiveness in performing its duties and of 
the progress in accomplishing the long-term plan's visions, goals and performance 
indicators pursuant to paragraph B, subparagraph (1). 
Sec. 3.  Evaluation; design and performance.  By January 1, 2018, the Maine 
Children's Growth Council, created in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 5, section 24001, 
shall develop an evaluation process pursuant to Title 5, section 24002, subsection 1, 
paragraph D.  By August 1, 2018, the Maine Children's Growth Council shall perform an 
evaluation pursuant to Title 5, section 24002, subsection 1, paragraph E. 
SUMMARY 
This bill adds duties for the Maine Children's Growth Council.  The bill requires the 
Maine Children's Growth Council to include additional information in the council's report 
to the Governor and certain legislative committees.  It changes the reporting requirement 
from every 2 years to annually and includes the Legislative Council as a recipient of the 
report.  The bill directs the Maine Children's Growth Council to develop an evaluation 
process and to periodically perform an evaluation of its effectiveness in performing its 
duties.  The bill authorizes the Maine Children's Growth Council to receive staff 
assistance from the Child Development Services System and the Department of Health 
and Human Services.