An Act to Improve Access to Child Care and Early Childhood
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 1859
Sponsors: INGWERSEN, GRAHAM

Legislative Document
No. 1859
S.P. 729
In Senate, May 5, 2025
An Act to Improve Access to Child Care and Early Childhood 
Education by Establishing Regional Resource Hubs
Received by the Secretary of the Senate on May 1, 2025.  Referred to the Committee on 
Health and Human Services pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator INGWERSEN of York.
Cosponsored by Representative GRAHAM of North Yarmouth and
Senators: CARNEY of Cumberland, DUSON of Cumberland, PIERCE of Cumberland, 
RAFFERTY of York.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  22 MRSA c. 1083 is enacted to read:
CHAPTER 1083
EARLY CHILDHOOD LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT RESOURCE HUBS
§4100-D. Regional early childhood learning and development resource hubs
1.  Regional early childhood learning and development resource hubs established.  
The department shall establish early childhood learning and development resource hubs, 
referred to in this section as "resource hubs," to promote early childhood learning and child 
development, support the needs of families and increase access to high-quality early 
childhood education. The resource hubs must provide families with the information and 
support necessary to locate early childhood programs. Each resource hub must be affiliated 
with an existing regional nonprofit organization in order to facilitate partnerships and avoid 
duplication of services. 
2.  Early Childhood Learning and Development Resource Hub Fund.  The Early 
Childhood Learning and Development Resource Hub Fund is established as a nonlapsing 
fund within and administered by the department to support the development and 
administration of resource hubs. The commissioner may accept funds from any public or 
private source for the purposes described in this chapter. 
3.  Resource hubs.  By November 1, 2025, the department shall establish 4 regional 
resource hubs. In establishing and administering resource hubs under this section, the 
department shall:
A.  Prioritize the geographical locations of services provided pursuant to the First 4 
ME Early Care and Education Program established in section 3931;
B.  Seek input from the Children's Cabinet established in Title 5, section 19131, which 
shall seek input from local communities to recommend the best regions for additional 
resource hubs based on child demographics and geography; and
C.  Ensure that each resource hub maintains an affiliation with a regional nonprofit 
organization.
4.  Duties of resource hubs.  The resource hubs must assist in fostering coordination, 
collaboration and planning related to early childhood programs and family support 
programs in order to provide resources to parents, educators, employers and community 
members. Each resource hub must:
A.  Conduct a regional needs assessment to determine local supply and demand for 
child care services, including annual surveys of parents and local employers to 
determine the capacity of regional child care and local early childhood services 
providers to supply services;
B.  Create an annual plan based on the regional needs assessments under paragraph A 
in collaboration with regional partners, including an annual work plan to meet the child 
care needs of parents and employers in the region;
C.  Assist parents in applying for the Maine Child Care Affordability Program 
established in section 3731-A, Head Start programs and other early childhood 
programs;
D.  Connect parents to and raise awareness of other local and state resources, including 
community action agencies, public preschools, the Help Maine Grow System under 
section 3921 and the Child Development Services System under Title 20-A, section 
7209, subsection 3 and other department programs;
E.  Serve as a resource for public schools and the Child Development Services System 
under Title 20-A, section 7209, subsection 3 to identify early childhood programs to 
support the needs of young children with disabilities;
F.  Work with employers and educators to meet local child care needs by supporting 
the expansion or development of new programs;
G.  Collaborate with programs designed to train individuals interested in opening or 
expanding child care businesses to support new and existing child care providers with 
facility expansion or upgrades and business or financial assistance;
H.  Support the needs of educators to navigate state systems, including the Maine Child 
Care Affordability Program established in section 3731-A and state child care 
licensing;
I.  Serve as a model for the development of a whole family approach to supporting the 
needs of families with children.  For the purposes of this paragraph, "whole family 
approach" means a coordinated, strength-based approach to ensure that children and 
their families can build a path to economic stability;
J.  Provide parents training on child development and parenting skills;
K.  Increase the capacity of child care providers to provide culturally responsive 
services;
L.  Collaborate with a professional development network of child care providers to 
deliver regional professional development training;
M.  Collaborate with higher education partners to increase interest in early childhood 
education as a career opportunity for youth and adults;
N.  Assist with innovative and collaborative partnerships among early childhood 
services providers related to shared services or cooperative services models to create 
efficiencies, build capacity, better support educators and staff and increase high-quality 
programming; 
O.  Solicit local funding to support state funding of resource hubs at a 50% match rate;
P.  Based on available funding, provide grants to support the needs of parents, educators 
and employers to strengthen the accessibility of high-quality early childhood programs; 
and
Q.  Submit an annual report to the department that includes the following:
(1)  The source and amount of funds received;
(2)  The amounts distributed and the purpose of expenditures, including, but not 
limited to, funds expended to assist early education and child care educators and 
staff;
(3)  Any grants provided to early education and child care programs, philanthropic 
organizations or other stakeholder organizations;
(4)  Anticipated revenue and expenditure projections for the next fiscal year;   
(5)  Information from the resource hub's regional needs assessment under 
paragraph A and other information determined necessary by the department; and
(6)  Recommendations from the resource hub and its partner board established 
pursuant to subsection 6 regarding improvements to better align and coordinate 
services for children and families. 
5.  Duties of department.  The department shall:
A.  Initiate a competitive request for proposals process and enter into agreements with 
3rd-party entities to carry out the provisions of this chapter;
B.  Establish by rule the process through which eligible entities may apply for program 
funds, the criteria used to make award determinations and the allowable award uses;
C.  Provide a 50% match rate for entities awarded grants to establish resource hubs;
D.  Standardize data collection by resource hubs to ensure that the data can be easily 
compiled for statewide assessment;
E.  Collaborate with the Department of Education and the Children's Cabinet 
established in Title 5, section 19131 to address recommendations on improving the 
coordination and service delivery for children in the State and their families, based on 
a whole family approach, as defined in subsection 4, paragraph I; 
F.  Engage with communities statewide to promote and build the capacity for additional 
participation in the First 4 ME Early Care and Education Program established in section 
3931; and
G.  Perform other functions necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter, 
including the monitoring of grantees. 
6.  Regional partner boards.  A resource hub must establish a board of local 
community partners to assist with oversight of the resource hub and to support the work of 
the resource hub of bringing together local partners to improve the availability and quality 
of early childhood services for children and families in their communities. Members must 
include a broad representation of local partners, including parents, early childhood 
educators, business leaders, school leadership, community action agency staff, early 
intervention specialists, community college or university staff, regional health or medical 
center staff and other child and family community advocates as determined by community 
need.  
7.  Report.  The department shall, beginning January 1, 2027 and annually thereafter, 
submit a report to the joint standing committees of the Legislature having jurisdiction over 
health and human services matters and education and cultural affairs and to the members 
of the Children's Cabinet established in Title 5, section 19131 and its advisory council 
regarding the status of state and regional early childhood education and family needs, data 
collected by resource hubs and any related recommendations to increase access to early 
childhood services. 
8.  Rules.  The department shall adopt rules to implement the requirements of this 
chapter. Rules adopted pursuant to this chapter are routine technical rules as defined in 
Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2‑A.
Sec. 2.  Resource hubs.  By December 15, 2025, the Department of Health and 
Human Services shall provide to the Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human 
Services the department's plans for establishing resource hubs under the Maine Revised 
Statutes, Title 22, section 4100-D in addition to the 4 resource hubs required to be 
established pursuant to Title 22, section 4100-D, subsection 3.  By July 1, 2027, the 
department shall establish additional resource hubs.
Sec. 3.  Appropriations and allocations.  The following appropriations and 
allocations are made.
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF
Child Care Services 0563
Initiative: Provides allocations to establish one Social Service Program Specialist II 
position, beginning October 1, 2025, to support development of early childhood learning 
and development resource hubs.
FEDERAL BLOCK GRANT FUND
2025-26
2026-27
POSITIONS - LEGISLATIVE COUNT
1.000
1.000
Personal Services
$89,587
$114,548
All Other
$6,500
$6,500
__________
__________
FEDERAL BLOCK GRANT FUND TOTAL
$96,087
$121,048
Child Care Services 0563
Initiative: Provides funding for contracts for 4 early childhood learning and development 
resource hubs, beginning April 1, 2026.
GENERAL FUND
2025-26
2026-27
All Other
$187,500
$750,000
__________
__________
GENERAL FUND TOTAL
$187,500
$750,000
FEDERAL BLOCK GRANT FUND
2025-26
2026-27
All Other
$187,500
$750,000
__________
__________
FEDERAL BLOCK GRANT FUND TOTAL
$187,500
$750,000
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, 
DEPARTMENT OF
DEPARTMENT TOTALS
2025-26
2026-27
GENERAL FUND
$187,500
$750,000
FEDERAL BLOCK GRANT FUND
$283,587
$871,048
__________
__________
DEPARTMENT TOTAL - ALL FUNDS
$471,087
$1,621,048
SUMMARY
This bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services to establish, through 
contracts with community entities, early childhood learning and development resource 
hubs.  The resource hubs must provide families with the information and support necessary 
to locate early childhood programs; assist families in connecting with other resources in 
the State; support the training of child care workers; and build networks among child care 
providers. The bill requires the department, beginning January 1, 2027 and annually 
thereafter, to submit a report to the joint standing committees of the Legislature having 
jurisdiction over health and human services matters and education and cultural affairs and 
to the members of the Children's Cabinet and its advisory council regarding the status of 
state and regional early childhood education and family needs, data collected by resource 
hubs and any related recommendations to increase access to early childhood services. The 
bill provides $471,087 in funds in fiscal year 2025-26 and $1,621,048 in fiscal year 
2026-27 to support the purposes of the resource hubs.