President Daughtry Introduces Final Child Care Tour Bill to Expand Access to Pre-K Nutrition

AUGUSTA, Maine — Senate President Mattie Daughtry (D-Brunswick) today introduced LD 2064, “An Act to Expand Access to Early Childhood Nutrition by Establishing a Grant Program for Public Preschools,” the final bill in her Support Kids, Support Maine listening tour legislative package.

Over the summer and fall, President Daughtry visited 11 early childhood programs across six Maine counties and heard from more than 200 parents, educators, and center directors through a statewide survey and virtual listening sessions. While participants expressed optimism about recent investments, they consistently raised concerns about gaps between systems — particularly when it comes to ensuring basic supports for children in off-site public pre-K classrooms.

“One thing we heard again and again on the tour was that our investments work best when systems are allowed to work together,” said President Mattie Daughtry. “Right now, some public pre-K students are falling through the cracks — not because the programs aren’t strong, but because the policies don’t line up. Ensuring our youngest Mainers are fed is one of the most impactful things we can do. Feeding children is not an optional add-on to early education–it is a core part of helping them grow, learn, and thrive. This bill reflects what we heard on the tour, and is a practical step we can take right now to support kids, families, and providers.”

During her visits, President Daughtry learned that off-site public pre-K classrooms are not eligible for Maine’s universal school meals program, forcing some child care providers to absorb significant food costs. Family Focus, a program in Brunswick, reported taking a $15,000 annual loss to ensure children were fed. 

“I have children in my program who experience extreme food insecurity,” said Laura Larson, Executive Director of Family Focus. “If they were attending school in a traditional school building, they would receive breakfast as soon as they got off the bus and have access to free meals throughout the day. But when those same children attend a public pre-K program at an off-site location like ours, the free school meals program may not be available to them. That cost then falls directly on providers who are already stretched thin and doing everything they can to avoid passing those costs on to parents.”

LD 2064 — known as the APPLE Act — would establish a grant program allowing school administrative units and child care providers to collaborate on how best to provide meals to off-site public pre-K students. The bill is designed to be flexible and administratively workable, allowing communities to determine whether meals are prepared and delivered by schools or supported through funding to providers.

Maine’s free school meals program has been nationally recognized and is a major success, but gaps remain. When school meals are not truly free or accessible, children facing food insecurity go hungry — and school districts are left to absorb the cost. In testimony on LD 2064, Full Plates Full Potential noted that 92 percent of school districts report unpaid meal debt.

“Families are facing higher food and care costs and free school meals can save families $160 a month per child,” said Colleen Frawley, Full Plates Full Potential. “Hunger is a policy choice. Maine kids need us, and lawmakers, to continue to invest in their health and education, by adapting federal funds to Maine solutions, and making them work for all children, no matter their address.” 

“For a state like Maine, that relies heavily on its working families, this bill helps take the weight off of parents that worry about being able to feed their child an adequate amount of food every day,” said Sen. Joe Rafferty, D-Kennebunk, Senate chair of the Legislature’s Education and Cultural Affairs Committee in testimony supporting LD 2064. “Additionally, it is essential for our youngest students to be fed so that they are best prepared to absorb the information they are being taught.”

LD 2064 is the final proposal in President Daughtry’s child care legislative package, which also includes bills to strengthen the early childhood workforce, increase access to toddler, infant, and second shift care, and reduce the Child Care Affordability Program waitlist.

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