An Act To Provide Stable Funding and Support for Child Care Providers
Maine Legislature, Session 130, LD 0698
Committee: Health and Human Services
Sponsors: PEBWORTH, BENNETT, MILLETT
Amends: 22 MRSA §3737

Legislative Document
No. 698
H.P. 510
House of Representatives, March 4, 2021
An Act To Provide Stable Funding and Support for Child Care 
Providers
Received by the Clerk of the House on March 2, 2021.  Referred to the Committee on 
Health and Human Services pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant to Joint 
Rule 401.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative PEBWORTH of Blue Hill.
Cosponsored by Senator BENNETT of Oxford and
Representative: MILLETT of Cape Elizabeth.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  22 MRSA §3737, sub-§5 is 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 high-quality 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 defined 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.
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 2022, 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.
SUMMARY
This bill 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.  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.