An Act to Establish a Cabinet-level Position to Ensure a Continuum of Care to Support Children and Their Families
Maine Legislature, Session 131, LD 0545
Committee: Health and Human Services
Sponsors: STOVER, RENY

Legislative Document
No. 545
H.P. 350
House of Representatives, February 9, 2023
An Act to Establish a Cabinet-level Position to Ensure a Continuum 
of Care to Support Children and Their Families
Reference to the Committee on Health and Human Services suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative STOVER of Boothbay.
Cosponsored by Senator RENY of Lincoln.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
CONCEPT DRAFT
SUMMARY
This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208.
This bill, through a multiphase process, would establish a comprehensive continuum 
of coordinated services aimed at identifying, evaluating and supporting young children’s 
physical, emotional and social development.
1. The Department of Health and Human Services would collect an inventory of 
programs that currently exist through the Department of Education and the Department of 
Health and Human Services, including, but not limited to, the Early Childhood 
Comprehensive Systems program, Help Me Grow Maine and developmental screening, 
Early Childhood Consultation Partnership, Maternal and Child Health program, Partners 
in Care Coordination program, children with special health care needs care coordination, 
the State's Plan of Safe Care, CradleME, early intervention under the federal Individuals 
with Disabilities Education Act, Part C and any other related program that provides 
identification of delayed development or disabilities, referral, coordination or planning of 
services for children from birth through 3 years of age. The inventory would include:
A.  A description of the programs;
B.  Detailed funding streams for the programs, including the Title V Maternal Child 
Health Block Grant;
C.  The methods of finding, referring, planning and coordinating services for young 
children; and
D. Identification of areas in which processes can be streamlined and efficiencies made.  
2. A working group would analyze the information collected under section 1 and make 
recommendations to the Children's Cabinet established under the Maine Revised Statutes, 
Title 5, section 19131.  The working group would be a partnership of public and private 
stakeholders, including representatives of the programs evaluated, children's advocates, 
providers, parent advocacy representatives and early childhood educators.  The working 
group would provide recommendations to the Children's Cabinet for how to structure a new 
cabinet-level department that provides supportive learning and public health prevention 
and intervention services across a continuum of care to young children and their families.  
3. The Children’s Cabinet would develop a data-driven plan and report that takes into 
consideration the recommendations of the working group in order to develop a new 
cabinet-level department.  The report will provide clear milestones to be met in a timely 
fashion to develop the new department.  The Children's Cabinet would be required to 
submit a report to the joint standing committees of the Legislature having jurisdiction over 
education matters and health and human services matters.  The committees will have 
authorization to submit legislation during the session in which the report is received.
4. A cabinet-level position would be established within available funds.  The position 
would be required to provide supportive, preventive, protective, learning and intervention 
services to young children and their families.  The cabinet-level position would develop a 
continuous system of care that spans across programs aimed at providing identification, 
evaluation, education and support of young children and their families.