After a statewide listening tour this summer, Maine Senate President Mattie Daughtry unveiled a portfolio of child care bills today.
There are measures aimed at bolstering the state's child care affordability program, getting families off the programs waitlist, and offering grants for after hours care.
Daughtry said access to after hours care is a critical need for families who don't work traditional schedules.
"Families also who don't work a traditional nine to five schedule face even greater barriers if you're in manufacturing, if you're working in hospitality and health care professionals, the limited availability of off care hours makes it increasingly difficult for parents to remain in the workforce," Daughtry said.
Jennifer Michaud, owner of Kids Kove childcare center in Sanford, said the salary supplements in these bills will help her retain her employees.
"This increase would really help us one, improve the quality of care with more professional development for our educators but also allow us to hiring more educators so we can open more classrooms for the need of those infant and toddler spaces," said Michaud.
Daughtry presented the first of these three bills to the Health and Human Services Committee Wednesday.
