Maine
Working families in Maine need accessible, affordable, quality child care and early learning opportunities for their children.
Currently, federal and state early learning programs reach thousands of young children and their families in Maine. But too many working families in Maine are missing out. As a direct result of child care issues, the Maine economy loses millions of dollars each year in the form of lost earnings, productivity, and revenue.
In the state, 68% of children have all available parents participating in the workforce, while the average cost of care is $15,730 a year (or $1,311 per month).
More than 3,000 children ages 5 and under have child care costs subsidized through the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), or 16% of those eligible. The average copay with a CCDBG subsidy is $916 a month.
2.6K children receive care, learning, nutrition, and other services at no cost through Early Head Start/Head Start (or 17% of those eligible for Early Head Start and 33% of those eligible for Head Start).
And 24.4K working families have the cost of their child care offset through the Child + Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC).
However, many working parents still struggle to access affordable, quality child care, which costs the state’s economy an estimated $403 million* each year in lost earnings and productivity.
Maine: In The Headlines
New early childhood education center opening in Windham, highlighting childcare demand
WGME | September 17, 2025
“There is such a shortage of childcare facilities in Windham. We are one of several facilities, but even opening this facility, we are not going to meet the need of the community,” Space to Thrive Director Hannah Marshall said.
Opinion: What lawmakers are hearing about child care in Maine
The Times Record | September 8, 2025
If we want lasting solutions, we need to listen to the people who are living these challenges every day: parents, educators and child care professionals.
Priced Out: Child care is becoming less affordable and harder to find
NewsCenter Maine | February 19, 2026
Brunswick’s Family Focus Director Laura Larsen talks paycuts and waitlists.
Maine Resources & News
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Republican Quotes of Support for Head Start
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2024 Child Care and Early Learning State Fact Sheets
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2024 CCDBG State Fact Sheets
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A Selection of State Accomplishments During the First 3 Years of PDG B-5
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New BPC Report: A Look into Child Care Workforce Licensing Requirements
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FFYF Analysis of 2024 State of the State Addresses
Analysis of 2024 State of the State addresses given by Governors across the country found that child care, early learning, and early childhood received substantial attention across state and party …
Total Federal TANF & State MOE Expenditures for Child Care & Early Learning in FY2022
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How States Are Using PDG B-5 Grants to Support Career Pathways
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How States Are Using PDG B-5 Grants to Support Financing
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Highlights from Senate Appropriations hearing on White House FY24 request
On Wednesday, November 8, the Senate Appropriations Committee held a hearing to discuss President Biden’s FY24 supplemental funding request. As part of the three-hour hearing, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas …
FFYF’S 2023 State Fact Sheets
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New 50 State Analysis Shows Impact of Federal Child Care Program
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How CCDBG Benefits Families in Your State
The Child Care & Development Block Grant (CCDBG) is the primary federal grant program that provides child care assistance to low-income working families with children under age 13. The majority …
FFYF’s 2022 Child Care & Early Learning State Fact Sheets
Our analysis of all 50 states and Washington, D.C. shows that the existing patchwork of federal and state early learning and care programs only reaches a fraction of income-eligible families. Federal …
Maine — Federal Support for Early Learning & Care Opportunities
High-quality early childhood education is proven to dramatically improve a child’s opportunities for a better future—particularly children from low-income families—while offering parents improved job stability and overall economic security. To …
Learn About the Positive Impact of MIECHV in Your State
The Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program provides federal funds to states, territories, and tribal entities for voluntary, evidence-based home visiting services. This program was reauthorized in …
Governors Highlight Child Care As Key To Helping States Recover And Grow
For years, Democratic and Republican governors alike have prioritized early learning and care as a smart investment for their states. It’s no surprise, then, that as America faces an ever-worsening child care …
2021 State Fact Sheets: Examining the Impact and Unmet Need of Federal & State ECE Funding
FFYF has released the latest iteration of its annual state fact sheets, which draw on numerous data sources to offer details about the early childhood opportunities in each state made …
Maine — Federal Support for Early Learning & Care Opportunities
High-quality early childhood education is proven to dramatically improve a child’s opportunities for a better future—particularly children from low-income families—while offering parents improved job stability and overall economic security. To …
FFYF Releases State Fact Sheets, Highlighting Unique Local Landscapes
This summer, FFYF released updated state fact sheets, which draw on numerous data sources to offer details about the early childhood opportunities in each state made possible through federal and state …
Maine: Federal Support for Early Learning & Care Opportunities
High-quality early childhood education is proven to dramatically improve a child’s opportunities for a better future—particularly children from low-income families—while offering parents improved job stability and overall economic security. To …
Business Group Utilizes Innovative Federal Grant to Support Child Care in Rural Maine
Access to affordable, high-quality child care is critically important for working families; it offers parents better job stability and economic security and improves the local economy, while helping children develop …
Updated Fact Sheets Show Opportunities for States
On Monday, the Center for American Progress (CAP) released their 2019 Early Learning Fact Sheets which provide an overview of early learning in each state. As in previous years, CAP’s …
See How All 50 States Use CCDBG Funding to Support Working Families Access Quality Child Care
Yesterday, our friends at Child Care Aware of America released a series of state fact sheets on the status of funding through the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) …
Maine: Federal Support for Early Learning & Care Opportunities
High-quality early childhood education is proven to dramatically improve a child’s opportunities for a better future—particularly children from low-income families—while offering parents improved job stability and overall economic security. To …
46 States and Territories to Receive Preschool Development Grants
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