An Act To Attract, Build and Retain an Early Childhood Education Workforce through Increased Training, Education and Career Pathways
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 1584
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Sponsors: FECTEAU, POULIOT, ALLEY, DAUGHTRY, GATTINE, GIDEON, HIGGINS, HERBIG, VITELLI
Amends: 22 MRSA §3740-A

Legislative Document
No. 1584
H.P. 1146
House of Representatives, April 16, 2019
An Act To Attract, Build and Retain an Early Childhood Education 
Workforce through Increased Training, Education and Career 
Pathways
Reference to the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative FECTEAU of Biddeford.
Cosponsored by Senator POULIOT of Kennebec and
Representatives: ALLEY of Beals, DAUGHTRY of Brunswick, GATTINE of Westbrook, 
Speaker GIDEON of Freeport, HIGGINS of Dover-Foxcroft, McCREA of Fort Fairfield, 
Senators: HERBIG of Waldo, VITELLI of Sagadahoc.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  22 MRSA §3740-A is enacted to read:
§3740-A.  Early childhood educators workforce support program
The commissioner, the Commissioner of Education and the Commissioner of Labor 
jointly shall develop and implement an early childhood educators workforce support 
program, referred to in this section as "the program," to recruit and retain early childhood 
educators working with children up to 5 years of age.  Components of the program must 
include the following:
1.  Career and technical education.  Increasing opportunities for course work in 
early childhood education by:
A.  Expanding the number of career and technical education centers at which early 
childhood education programs are available;
B.  Supporting early childhood education courses through funding for training and the 
purchase of updated textbooks, equipment and other course materials; and
C.  Creating articulation agreements with the Maine Community College System for 
the transfer of credits for course work related to early childhood education and 
enrollment in courses in furtherance of the issuance of a postsecondary degree;
2.  Comprehensive scholarships.  Providing comprehensive scholarships that allow 
individuals, such as those providing family child care, directors of child care centers and 
early childhood educators, to attain early childhood education credentials and take 
courses at accredited institutions leading to associate or bachelor's degrees.  The 
scholarships must be structured with the goal of allowing an individual who agrees to 
work for at least one year following graduation with an approved employer to graduate 
without student debt;
3.  Apprenticeships.  Expanding the number of apprenticeships available in early 
childhood child care.  The apprenticeships must be registered with the Department of 
Labor and offered in partnership with a professional development network that promotes 
and supports professionalism in the early childhood child care and education field and 
that is operated by a state institution of higher education and must meet any additional 
criteria established by rule adopted pursuant to this section; and
4.  Salary supplements.  Establishing a system of salary supplements for providers 
of child care and early childhood educators working with children up to 5 years of age.  
The system of salary supplements must:
A.  Be on a graded scale that awards salary supplements to an individual based on the 
level of education and experience of the individual;
B.  Award salary supplements to an individual whose employer is a program or 
school that is ranked by the office based on the quality of the program or school; and
C.  Award salary supplements to an individual who has registered on a statewide 
registry that uses a member's work, education and training histories, along with any 
professional credentials, to assign a level on a scale appropriate to that career.
The commissioner, the Commissioner of Education and the Commissioner of Labor 
shall adopt routine technical rules pursuant to Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A to 
implement the provisions of this section.
Sec. 2.  Appropriations and allocations.  The following appropriations and 
allocations are made.
EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF 
General Purpose Aid for Local Schools 0308
Initiative: Provides ongoing funds to support the expansion of early childhood education 
programs currently offered by 20 career and technical education centers in the State to 27 
career and technical education centers and to update textbooks, equipment and other 
curriculum materials.
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF 
Child Care Services 0563
Initiative: Provides ongoing funding for education and experience-based salary 
supplements for early childhood educators working with children from birth to 5 years of 
age.
Child Care Services 0563
GENERAL FUND
2019-20
2020-21
All Other
$250,000
$250,000
GENERAL FUND TOTAL
$250,000
$250,000
EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF 
DEPARTMENT TOTALS
2019-20
2020-21
GENERAL FUND
$250,000
$250,000
DEPARTMENT TOTAL - ALL FUNDS
$250,000
$250,000
GENERAL FUND
2019-20
2020-21
All Other
$2,500,000
$2,500,000
GENERAL FUND TOTAL
$2,500,000
$2,500,000
Initiative: Provides ongoing allocations for comprehensive scholarships to early 
childhood educators working with children from birth to 5 years of age.
LABOR, DEPARTMENT OF 
Employment Services Activity 0852
Initiative: Provides ongoing funds to expand the apprenticeship program for those 
working in the field of early childhood child care and education offered by the Maine 
Roads to Quality Professional Development Network in partnership with the State's 
higher education system and for the staffing and indirect costs to support the program.
FEDERAL BLOCK GRANT FUND
2019-20
2020-21
All Other
$400,000
$400,000
FEDERAL BLOCK GRANT FUND TOTAL
$400,000
$400,000
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, 
DEPARTMENT OF 
DEPARTMENT TOTALS
2019-20
2020-21
GENERAL FUND
$2,500,000
$2,500,000
FEDERAL BLOCK GRANT FUND
$400,000
$400,000
DEPARTMENT TOTAL - ALL FUNDS
$2,900,000
$2,900,000
GENERAL FUND
2019-20
2020-21
All Other
$300,000
$300,000
GENERAL FUND TOTAL
$300,000
$300,000
LABOR, DEPARTMENT OF 
DEPARTMENT TOTALS
2019-20
2020-21
GENERAL FUND
$300,000
$300,000
DEPARTMENT TOTAL - ALL FUNDS
$300,000
$300,000
SECTION TOTALS
2019-20
2020-21
GENERAL FUND
$3,050,000
$3,050,000
SUMMARY
This bill requires the Commissioner of Health and Human Services, the 
Commissioner of Education and the Commissioner of Labor jointly to develop and 
implement an early childhood educators workforce support program to recruit and retain 
early childhood educators working with children up to 5 years of age.  Components of the 
program include:
1.  Expansion of educational programs at career and technical education centers and 
financial support of those programs;
2.  Comprehensive scholarships for persons taking classes toward the attainment of 
an early childhood education credential or an associate or bachelor's degree that allow the 
persons to graduate without student debt as long as the persons agree to work for a year 
with an approved employer;
3.  An increased number of apprenticeships; and
4.  Salary supplements awarded to individuals who provide child care or who are 
early childhood educators.  The amount of the supplement is based on the level of 
education and experience of the individual and other factors.
This bill also provides funding to carry out the program.
FEDERAL BLOCK GRANT FUND
$400,000
$400,000
SECTION TOTAL - ALL FUNDS
$3,450,000
$3,450,000