An Act To O Provide Stable Funding and Support for Child Care Providers
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 1012
Committee Amendment CA_B_S212 (Senate)
Amends: 22 MRSA §3737

FffiST REGULAR SESSION 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "'fJ" to S.P. 291, L.D. 1012, Bill, "An Act To 
O 
Provide Stable Funding and Support for Child Care Providers" 
Amend the bill by striking out all of section 2. 
Amend the bill by striking out all of section 4 and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 4. 22 MRSA §3737, sub-§§5 and 6 are enacted to read: 
5. Use of contracts to improve supply of care for infants, toddlers and preschool 
children. The department may use up to 25% of funding received each year from the 
child care and development block grant authorized under the federal Child Care and 
Development Block Grant Act of 1990 for providing child care services for contracts 
with providers of child care services at step 3 and step 4 under subsection 3 to increase 
the availability of care for infants, toddlers and preschool children up to 4 years of age. 
The contracts must prioritize continuity of care and stable settings for infants, toddlers 
and preschool children up to 4 years of age but may support children in another age 
group. To qualify for a contract, a provider of child care services under this subsection 
must have appropriate training in child development, child trauma, adverse childhood 
experience, child protective services and working with children with disabilities. The 
department shall ensure that any contracts issued are granted to providers of child care 
services under this subsection that prioritize the following at-risk populations: 
A. Infants, toddlers and preschool children up to 4 years of age receiving or who 
have received child protective services; 
B. Infants with disabilities or those referred by the Child Development Services 
System as defmed in Title 20-A, section 7001, subsection 1-A; 
C. Infants whose parents are participating in a substance use disorder treatment 
program; 
D. Infants whose parents are or have been homeless in the preceding 6 months; and 
E. Infants in geographic areas of the State where parents have few opportunities to 
secure high-quality infant care. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
.\ 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT"\· ) "to S.P. 291, L.D. 1012 \ ~-
The department shall submit an annual report to the joint standing committee of the 
Legislature having jurisdiction over health and human services matters no later than 
January 1st of each year, beginning in 2021, describing the use of contracts pursuant to 
this subsection. The report must include the number of contracts, the percentage of block 
grant funding used for the contracts and the number, grouped by paragraphs A to E, of at-
risk children. 
6. Shared services. The department may create a program to support providers of 
child care services in sharing administrative and program services and costs to make the 
providers more efficient and financially sustainable and to improve the providers' ability 
to deliver high-quality child care services.' 
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or 
section number to read consecutively. 
SUMMARY 
This amendment, which is the minority report, removes the sections of the bill that 
require increased reimbursement levels for graduated quality differential rates for child 
care. It allows the Department of Health and Human Services to use up to 25% of the 
State's federal child care and development block grant funding for contracts for 
high-quality child care to underserved children and areas of the State rather than requiring 
the use of contracts. The department is required to submit an annual report to the joint 
standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health and human services 
matters on the number of contracts, the percentage of block grant funding used for the 
contracts and the number of children served. It allows, rather than requires as in the bill, 
the department to develop a shared services program. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT