President Mattie Daughtry launches statewide child care tour

AUGUSTA – Senate President Mattie Daughtry is hitting the road this fall to launch her Support Kids, Support Maine Statewide Child Care Listening Tour aimed at hearing directly from parents, guardians, early childhood educators, and providers about the urgent challenges facing Maine’s child care system.

“Maine families are struggling to find affordable, high-quality child care—and when they can, they’re often stuck on long waitlists,” said President Daughtry. “We’re working to strengthen Maine’s child care system from the ground up, and to do that, we need to hear from the people at the heart of it.”

The child care tour is underway and will end on October 9 after visiting five more counties. 

The tour includes stops at community child care centers, Head Start programs, and nonprofit organizations serving families across the state. These visits are designed to spotlight innovative solutions, identify persistent gaps, and elevate the voices of those directly impacted by Maine’s child care crisis.

Maine families, educators, and stakeholders are invited to reach out to share their stories and solutions by completing this survey www.tinyurl.com/supportkidssupportmaine. Gathered input will inform President Daughtry’s legislation next year aimed at building a stronger, more equitable early childhood system. 

First stop: Sebago Lake State Park Field Trip with Space to Thrive
Senate President Daughtry and Senator Tim Nangle joined a Sebago Lake State Park field trip this month with Space to Thrive, a nonprofit dedicated to providing quality early childhood education in Windham and Raymond. Space to Thrive will expand to provide care for more families through 64 new spots at their Pope Road location next month. During the visit, Hannah Marshall, Executive Director of Space to Thrive, underscored that the single most important role the state government can play is ensuring consistent funding and support for child care programs. Marshall emphasized that long-term stability is critical for providers, families, and communities to thrive.

Sen. Tim Nangle, D-Windham, and Senate President Mattie Daughtry, D-Brunswick, speak with Hannah Marshall, Executive Director of Space to Thrive, during the first stop of the Statewide Child Care Listening Tour at Sebago Lake State Park.

Second stop: Family Focus in Brunswick

Senate President Daughtry continued her listening tour at Family Focus in Brunswick, an early child care education center that has been serving the community for nearly 40 years. Family Focus provides care and education for children from 6 weeks old through age 12, and staff emphasized the growing demand for infant and toddler care.

During the visit, President Daughtry spoke with Executive Director Laura Larson about the structural and financial challenges facing the center—including the need for the State to expand free school meals to all Pre-K students, limited access to early educator training, and barriers to recruitment and retention. Larson noted that although Family Focus was originally designed as a half-day program, local needs have driven them to provide full-day care—without adequate funding to bridge the gap.

President Daughtry learned that Family Focus currently absorbs around $15,000 in annual losses to keep its food program running—a cost that is critical for families but often the first to be considered for cuts. “If we’re committed to universal free school meals in Maine, we need to make sure implementation matches that promise at all levels of education,” Larson said.

The workforce pipeline for early childhood educators also remains a major concern. Larson and her team expressed the need for more accessible training through technical schools, expanded Child Development Associate (CDA) certification opportunities, and pathways that allow people to work and study simultaneously. They emphasized the need for loan forgiveness and crucial benefits—like retirement and health care—to allow people to sustainably fulfill the essential role of being an early childhood educator.

“This is about supporting the workforce behind the workforce,” said Larson. “You’re not just paying for someone else’s child care. You’re allowing the nurses, teachers, and essential workers your community relies on to go to work.”

Senate President Mattie Daughtry, D-Brunswick, speaks with Laura Larson, Executive Director of Family Focus, during the second stop of the Statewide Child Care Listening Tour.