A.C.C.E.S.S. and "Public Policy"
One of the basic ideals that form the basis of A.C.C.E.S.S. is that it is of the utmost importance that the child care provider voice be heard by those who are making decisions that effect our work and the well being of those we care for.
PLEASE CHECK IN FREQUENTLY, AND WE'LL BE BRINGING YOU UPDATES ON WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THE POLICY FRONT ON BOTH THE STATE AND NATIONAL LEVELS.
In response to feedback from our Community, to make this web site more effective, we now have two separate pages on public policy, this one which reflects what's going on in the State of Maine, and a Federal Public Policy page which reflects the work we are monitoring on the Federal Level.
|
On December 7, 2011 Governor Paul LePage delivered a proposal to balance the State of Maine Budget. The key components of this budget included (among other) proposals to, in addition to curtailing key components of the Maine Medicare Program (MaineCare), the elimination all state funding for Child Care Services, Head Start, and Community Dental Program.
Please find below an analysis of the impact of the cuts to child care systems, and ACCESS testimony to the Maine Legislature’s Appropriations ‘Committee per these cuts to child dare.
|
Overall Talking Points Regarding the Overall Cuts to Early Childhood Programs in Maine.
All we are asking is that we (as the state of Maine) follow a long established commitment to prevention and early intervention services to families that are shown to be critical to the success of all children.
Consider what the leaders of the present Administration have said about early learning.
Governor Paul LePage: “Businesses in our state expect and deserve a workforce that’s highly skilled and adaptable. Guaranteeing children a solid educational foundation before they begin kindergarten is the first crucial investment we as a state can make in a future workforce that will drive economic growth in Maine.”
Commissioner of Education, Stephen Bowen: “The research proves that children who gain a solid educational foundation in the first five years of life are significantly more likely to be successful in school. The federal grant application we have submitted builds on Maine’s already strong foundation and investments in early childhood education so we can accelerate the improvements we know we need in this state.”
Maine Health and Human Services Commissioner Mary Mayhew: “We know the research about the value of positive early experiences and brain development. This federal grant provides an unprecedented opportunity to apply the research in concrete ways to make a positive difference in the lives of Maine’s children and families.”
Whether Maine will have a prosperous future depends in large part on our ability to produce strong, solid children who can lead tomorrow’s communities. If we expect solid outputs, we have to invest in solid inputs.
The latest science says the best way to do this is to provide children early in their lives with healthy, nurturing experiences that literally build the brain’s architecture. We also know that not all children have such experiences, whether due to exposure to violence, neighborhood/community poverty or other chronic challenges that produce what scientists call “toxic stress” that damages growing brains.
Maine has been forward thinking in ensuring that our three primary early childhood services – Child Care, Home Visiting and Head Start – work to promote healthy brain development and provide solutions for children at risk of toxic stress reactions.
Maine has long known that we are far better off when we “pay it forward,” and that’s what these programs do by giving communities a solid foundation for our kids. With so many economic challenges facing families right now, it is hard to imagine why we would do anything to make times harder now, and make the future less secure.
Below is an overview of the impact of the Governor’s proposal on each of these essential early childhood programs:
Child Care: The proposal is to eliminate all State of Maine funding of the child care system. The total cut in state funding would be $4.6 million. The elimination of this funding will automatically trigger a reduction of $5.9 million in federal matching funds, making the total reduction in spending $10.5 million.
This money is used in two ways in Maine. Most is used to provide subsidy which supports families who can document they need this child care in order to remain working. Child care funds are also used to increase the access to and the quality of the child care that is available to all families. These resources are used to ensure licensing rules are implemented, provide training and technical assistance to all providers and consumer information and support for families.
Home Visiting
Maine Families is Maine’s evidence-based home visiting program, and provides professional home visitors who work in partnership with expectant parents and parents of babies and toddlers to ensure safe home environments, promote healthy growth and development, and provide key connections for families to needed services in their communities.
Maine Families has been recognized as a national leader in demonstrated outcomes, quality and efficiency, and so was awarded a $30 million dollar federal grant over four years to EXPAND the current program. On January 1, the State curtailed $500,000 of spending on this program, and the current proposal for cuts will likely mean Maine will lose this federal grant. Below are just two of many improvements in health outcomes attributable to this home visiting program:
- 94% of expectant mothers in the Maine Families program received adequate prenatal care, compared to the statewide rate of 85%, resulting in fewer premature and low-birth weight babies, saving significant related health care costs.
- 93% of children in the Maine Families program had up to date immunizations, compared to a statewide rate of 72.3%
Head Start
Head Start provides an infrastructure of early childhood support and economic opportunity to families most in need by providing comprehensive services that promote the health, social, emotional and intellectual development of children. Enrollment is prioritized for children with special needs, children living in poverty, who are homeless, are in foster care, or live in areas defined as medically underserved. In addition, the program helps parents make progress toward their own educational and employment goals.
A recent national study of Head Start demonstrated that, overall, the longer children were enrolled in Head Start before entering kindergarten, the greater the rates of kindergarten readiness and sustained cognitive, social-emotional, and health outcomes than their peers. Our own state data confirm these findings for Maine’s children.
|
|
Talkiing Points Specfic to Child Care Funding in Maine
Baseed upon the Maine Department of Health and Human Services figures, the Governor’s Proposed Budget will eliminate childcare vouchers from over 1,600 working families in Maine who use this support to stay employed.
These families are now faced with losing their jobs and/or compromising the well being of their children in order to stay working. These cuts will also mean the curtailment and/or elimination of programs that work towards ensuring the adequacy of the child care that is available to all Maine families
These proposed cuts undermine the Maine economy in both the short and long term, creating barriers to Maine’s families needing to work today, and the long term preparedness of the future Maine workforce.
If we want Maine to have a prosperous future, we need to produce strong, healthy children who can lead tomorrow’s communities. All modern science says that the best way for us to do this is provide young children with healthy, nurturing experiences that will literally “build the brain’s architecture” during these early years. This “brain building” happens through frequent, stable and healthy interactions with adults. We also know that many children face challenges (including being in under-stimulating environments) which produces “toxic stress” that damages growing brains. When Maine Child Care Systems works, it is able to promote healthy brain development and provide solutions for children at risk of toxic stress reactions.
Explanation of the Cuts:
The Proposal is to eliminate all State of Maine Funding for it’s Child Care System which will automatically trigger a reduction in Federal Matching funds, making the total reduction in spending over $10 reducing the Maine Child Care Budget by nearly half.
These “Child Care Dollars” are used in two ways in Maine. Most of the money is used to provide “Child Care Vouchers” which supports families who can document they need this child care in order to remain working. Key to understanding this Child Care Voucher Program, a Parent can apply for this support ONLY if:
1) They can document they need the Child Care Voucher to stay employed or to be in meaningful job training.
2) They can document they are not, and have not recently been receiving Welfare (TANF) benefits.
3) They are willing and able to assume some part of the cost of the child care.
These Child Care Dollars are also used to increase the access to and the quality of the child care that is available to all families, through investments in parent education, child care provider training and technical assistance.
|
|
Talking points around proposed cuts to Home Visiting Programs ("Maine Families Program") within the Early Childhood Package in the Fund for a Healthy Maine
• Maine Families provides formal screening for domestic violence so that families who need domestic violence services are connected to them, and have safety plans developed. This is a focus of the federal grant: to provide prevention and early intervention services instead of waiting to address domestic violence after the fact and once law enforcement and/or hospitals are involved.
• A stated value of this legislature is not to pass costs and debt to future taxpayers. By eliminating prevention right now, that is exactly what will happen - increased costs for physical and mental health care, increased child welfare costs, increased law enforcement and corrections costs, increased special ed costs. We are backsliding, not paying it forward to future generations.
• We know that tough economic times increase the potential for toxic levels of stress in families – levels of stress that can undermine children’s healthy development. this is exactly what the expansion of the program is intended to address and prevent by reaching more families, more intensely, earlier. The human toll of this is enormous as are the associated fiscal costs.
• This cut on top of the curtailment wipes out 2/3 of state funding for HV
|
Testimony on the Proposed Changes to the Maine Budget, 2011 – 2012 as it pertains to the Fund For A Healthy Maine Provided to the Maine Legislature December 16, 2011
Senator Rosen
Representative Flood
Senator McCormick
Representative Strang Burgess
Honorable Members of the Appropriations and Health and Human Services Committees.
My name is Bill Hager, and I am a resident of Wells Maine, Executive Director of Child Care Services of York County, and chair of the Maine Alliance for Children’s Care, Education and Supporting Services (Maine ACCESS), the statewide child care provider organization representing over 1,500 child care providers caring for tens of thousand Maine families from quite literally every community in Maine.
Because of the difficulty these providers and parents face in attending public forums such as these, I have been asked to speak for them, requesting that you to reject this proposal to make massive cuts to the Fund for a Healthy Maine.
Explanation of the Cuts:
This budget proposal does many things, including eliminating all State of Maine Funding for it’s Child Care System, which will in turn automatically trigger a reduction in Federal Matching funds, making the total reduction in spending over $10 million, cutting the Maine Child Care Budget by half.
While these Child Care dollars are also used to increase the access to and the quality of the child care that is available to all families, through investments in parent education, child care provider training and technical assistance, mostly the money is used to provide “Child Care Vouchers,” which supports families who can document they need this child care in order to remain working. There are three key pieces you need to understand this “Child Care Voucher Program”
1) Parent can apply for this support ONLY if they can document they need the Child Care Voucher to stay employed or to be in meaningful job training.
2) Parent can apply for this support ONLY if they can document they are not, and have not recently been receiving Welfare (TANF) benefits.
3) Parent can apply for this support ONLY if they are willing and able to assume some part of the cost of their child care.
Impact Statement:
Base upon the Maine Department of Health and Human Services figures, the Governor’s Proposed Budget will eliminate 2,500 of these child care vouchers.
These families will now be faced with losing their jobs and/or compromising the well being of their children in order to remain employed. These cuts will also mean the curtailment and/or elimination of programs that work towards ensuring the adequacy of the child care that is available to all families
There is very strong evidence that the proposed cuts to these program aimed at supporting the young child and his/her family will significantly harm the Maine economy in both the short and long term; creating barriers to employment for thousands of Maine’s families, increasing costs to local communities and school districts, ands undermining long term preparedness of the future Maine workforce
If we want Maine to have a prosperous future, we need to produce strong, healthy children who can lead tomorrow’s communities. All modern science says that the best way for us to do this is provide young children with healthy, nurturing experiences that will literally “build the brain’s architecture” during these early years. This “brain building” happens through frequent, stable and healthy interactions with adults. We also know that many of Maine’s children face challenges (including being in under-stimulating environments) which produces “toxic stress” that damages growing brains. When Maine Child Care Systems works, it is able to promote healthy brain development and provide solutions for children at risk of this toxic stress reaction.
Oddly enough, we are in total agreement with the Governor’s stated goals of increasing employment, decreasing dependency on public systems, and paving the way for Maine’s future. Unfortunately , decimating these programs will have just the opposite effect from these desired outcomes.
I thank you for the opportunity to provide this information, and I would be happy to answer any questions or concerns you may have.
Sincerely,
Bill Hager,
Current Chair
Alliance for Children’s Care, Education and Supporting Services
P.O. Box 1407
Wells ME 04090-1407
(207) 324-6025
info@mainechildcare.org
|
|
Maine State Legislature -- Contact Information
One way we try to empower childcare providers and parents is to give them the tools to communicate with key Public Policy Makers. It is our philosophy that the state and federal governments should work for us. Towards that end, we want you to be able to stay in contact with your elected representatives in Augusta. If you don’t know who your State Senator or State Representatives are (and everyone in Maine has one of both) you can find out who are your folks and how to contract them by opening up the spread sheets below.
The first has the list of State Senators and State Representatives by Town (just find your town, and you can find your reps.) For those of you providing services over a wider area, we’ve also provided a spreadsheet that lists each County’s state legislators.
If you want more help in identifying or communicating with your state representatives, please feel free to contact us at info@mainechildcare.org, anytime.
|
Most of the legislation that impacts on the Early Care and Education World in Maine will pass through one (or more) of three committees, Health and Human Services, Education and Cultural Affairs, and/or Appropriations. If you click on the Icon to the right, you can download a spreadsheet that will give you contact information on the members of each of these committees, along with current Maine State House and Senate Leadership
| 
Maine 125 Legislature, Key Committees |
In response to a couple of requests to clarify he whole budget and legislative process in Maine, we’ve put together this simple handout on the Legislative Process in Maine. To download a copy, please click on the icon to the right.
| 
Legislative Process in Maine |
Beginning in August of 2010, the State of Maine has made significant changes on how familes can access child care subsidies (vouchers) AND in many of the rules surrounding these subsidies.
In an effort to get information about these changes out to the general public and the child care provider world, we've posted the state information around these changes below.
|
Changes to the Child Care Subsidy Program (CCSP) for Parents
Office of Child and Family Services (OFCS)
Effective July 26, 2010
As you may know, the Child Care Subsidy Program (also known as the Voucher Program) has undergone some significant changes. How these changes effect parents is outlined below:
New Families:
- Begin the process by applying at their local Regional DHHS Office of Integrated Access and Support (OIAS) (see attached page). You can visit them in person or download an application online. Currently, the online application (http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/OIAS/public-assistance/index.html) to use is MaineCare. Until the application is updated online, please indicate you are also requesting CCSP in the “Application For” area.
- Complete and sign the application.
- You (the parents) will need to provide the following documentation:
o four weeks of current, consecutive pay stubs for all adults in the household
o proof of child support income
o proof of child support paid out
o proof of Maine residency showing your physical address (utility bill, Maine driver’s license, tax bill, etc.)
o proof of child’s citizenship (copy of birth certificate or qualified alien documentation)
o proof of parent identity (copy of driver’s license, military ID, etc.)
o SSI or Social Security grant letter/check stub
o tax return if self-employed (include all schedules)
o verification of any other cash benefits or income you receive
- Submit the application and documentation to your local DHHS OIAS office.
- You will receive a Notice of Decision from OIAS regarding your financial eligibility.
- If you (the parents) are determined financial eligible for CCSP, your information will be forwarded to this office for program eligibility determination.
- You (the parents) will be contacted by a CCSP Specialist who will ask you about your work schedule, child care needs, and then assist you with our application process.
Current Families Receiving CCSP/Vouchers:
- You (the parents) will be contacted by your CCSP Specialist after the conversion. This person may or may not be the person with whom you previously worked. If your parent fee or redetermination date has changed, you will be notified within the first three weeks after the conversion.
- You (the parents) will no longer receive a contract for you, the provider and the Department to sign. You will receive an award letter indicating how much your subsidy is, what the end date is, and when your redetermination date is. Your provider will also get a copy of this.
- If you (the parents) have outstanding issues that need to be resolved (proof of child support, self-employment information, proof of disability, etc), your award letter will stipulate the timeframe you have to get that information to the Department.
- If you (the parents) have any changes regarding income or residency, you will need to contact the local OIAS office. If you have any changes regarding your work schedule or child care needs, you will need to contact your CCSP Specialist; this includes, but is not limited to, changes from full time to part time, short-term disability periods, maternity/paternity leave, and loss of employment.
- The redetermination process will consist of the financial eligibility piece being completed by OIAS, and the program piece being completed by CCSP.
- You (the parents) will be sent a letter and application from OIAS. Please complete and sign the application, and send the required documentation to OIAS as soon as possible. The financial documentation required is as follows:
o four weeks of current, consecutive pay stubs for all adults in the household
o proof of child support income
o proof of child support paid out
o SSI or Social Security grant letter/check stub
o tax return if self-employed (include all schedules)
o verification of any other cash benefits or income you receive
- You (the parents) will be sent a letter and application from CCSP. Please complete and sign the application, and send the required documentation to the CCSP office as soon as possible. The program documentation required is as follows:
o Complete and signed application
o Documentation of work hours (either 4 consecutive paystubs or letter from employer)
o Copy of current federal taxes with all schedules if self-employed
o Official copy of parent’s school schedule
o Child Support documentation
o Divorce decree, specifically regarding custody
o Medical documentation of child’s special needs
o Medical/SSD documentation of parental disability
- You (the parents) will receive a Notice of Decision from OIAS regarding your financial eligibility. You will receive either an award letter or a notice of termination from CCSP regarding your program eligibility.
|
|
Integrated Access and Support
An Office of the Department of
Health and Human Services
|
|
District Office Locations In Maine
|
|
Augusta District Office
|
35 Anthony Avenue
11 SHS
Augusta, Maine 04333
|
(207)624-8090
ASPIRE (207)624-8080 or 1-800-452-1926
FAX: 207-624-8124
TDD/TTY: 1-800-606-0215
|
|
Bangor District Office
|
396 Griffin Road
Bangor, Maine 04401
|
(207)561-4100 or 1-800-432-7825
FAX: 207-561-4493
TDD/TTY: 1-800-606-0215
|
|
Biddeford District Office
|
208 Graham Street
Biddeford, Maine 04005
|
(207)286-2400 or 1-800-322-1919
FAX: 207-286-2546
TDD/TTY: 1-800-606-0215
|
|
Calais District Office
|
392 South Street
Calais, Maine 04619
|
(207)454-9000 or 1-800-622-1400
FAX: 207-454-9012
TDD: 1-800-606-0215
|
|
Caribou District Office
|
30 Skyway Drive
Unit 100
Caribou, Maine 04736
|
(207)493-4000 or 1-800-432-7366
FAX: 207-493-4004
TDD/TTY: 1-800-606-0215
|
|
Ellsworth District Office
|
17 Eastward Lane
Ellsworth, Maine 04605
|
(207)667-1656 or 1-800-432-7823
FAX: 207-667-5364
TDD/TTY: 1-800-606-0215
|
|
Farmington District Office
|
114 Corn Shop Lane
Farmington, Maine 04938
|
(207)778-8400 or 1-800-442-6382
FAX: 207-778-8429
TDD/TTY: 1-800-606-0215
|
|
Fort Kent District Office
|
137 Market Street
Fort Kent, Maine 04743-1447
|
(207)834-7700 or 1-800-432-7340
FAX: 207-834-7780
TDD/TTY: 1-800-606-0215
|
|
Houlton District Office
|
11 High Street
Houlton, Maine 04730
|
(207)532-5000 or 1-800-432-7338
FAX: 207-532-5027
TDD/TTY: 1-800-606-0215
|
|
Lewiston District Office
|
200 Main Street
Lewiston, Maine 04240
|
(207)795-4300
ASPIRE (207)795-4423 or 1-800-482-7517
FAX: 207-795-4551
TDD/TTY: 1-800-606-0215
|
|
Machias District Office
|
38 Prescott Drive
Machias, Maine 04654
|
(207)255-2000 or 1-800-432-7846
FAX: 207-255-2022
TDD/TTY: 1-800-606-0215
|
|
Portland District Office
|
161 Marginal Way
Portland, Maine 04101
|
(207)822-2000 or 1-800-482-7520
FAX: 207-822-2310
TDD/TTY: 1-888-720-1925
|
|
Rockland District Office
|
91 Camden Street
Suite 103
Rockland, Me 04841
|
(207)596-4217 or 1-800-432-7802
FAX: 207-596-4331
TDD/TTY: 1-800-606-0215
|
|
Sanford District Office
|
890 Main Street
Suite 208
Sanford, Maine 04073
|
(207)490-5400 or 1-800-482-0790
FAX: 207-490-5499
TDD/TTY: 1-800-606-0215
|
|
Skowhegan District Office
|
98 North Avenue
Suite 10
Skowhegan, Maine 04976
|
(207)474-4800 or 1-800-452-4602
FAX: 207-474-4890
TDD/TTY: 1-800-606-0215
|
|
South Paris District Office
|
243 Main Street
Suite #6
South Paris, Maine 04281
|
(207)744-1200 or 1-888-593-9775
FAX: 207-743-8735
TDD/TTY: 1-800-606-0215
|
|
July 29, 2010
Dear All,
Enclosed please find the third Action Transmittal of the Child Care Subsidy Rules, Effective October 1, 2009. These changes are effective August 9, 2010.
As you will see, this is a comprehensive transmittal, including 25 items which have been added, clarified or deleted. While many of these are not significant changes, there are a few items I would like to highlight, as they are major additions.
- In-home Child Care Providers: Because in-home child care providers are considered legal and unregulated, the policy now aligns with the Legal Unregulated definition, indicating the provider in this setting can be caring for no more than two (2) children who are unrelated to the provider.
- Leaves for Active Recipients: Maternity/Paternity Leave will now consist of 8 weeks of paid subsidy, regardless if the child attends care during that time; current policy allows up to 12 weeks, but the child must be attending care. The Job Search period was redefined from two (2) months to eight (8) weeks. The policy now includes a Short-Term Medical Leave which pays subsidy for up to eight (8) weeks while a parent is unable to work due to a medical issue.
- Eligibility of Household in which One Parent has a Disability: The disability must be documented by the Social Security Administration or the MaineCare’s Medical Review Team. Subsidy is granted for six (6) months while the applicant obtains this documentation.
- Residency for Legal, Unregulated Providers: Due to guidelines around background checks on people from outside of Maine, people who are applying to be a Legal, Unregulated Provider must have been a Maine resident for at least six (6) months.
- Excused Absences: The Rules are very vague around of excused absence time. While not wanting to restrict parents from taking their children home early or on vacations, the Department needed to have more accountability of the amount of time it pays for excused absences. An allotment of absences has now been specified. Leave periods are not counted against excused absences.
- Provider Agreements: As the Department is moving away from the three (3) party contracts, it is essential all providers sign an annual provider agreement. Approval of subsidy may be withdrawn if the provider agreement is not received by the Department within the stated timeframe.
If you have any questions regarding these or any of the other changes within this Action Transmittal, please don’t hesitate to contact me. Email is always the best way to reach me as I am often not at my desk, but if you call and leave me a message, I will do my best to return your call as soon as possible.
Sincerely,
Therese Cahill Low
State Child Care and Head Start Administrator
Therese.Cahill-Low@maine.gov
|
|
