All young people deserve an equal chance to be healthy, happy, safe, and nurtured. What do young people in Maine need to be successful and reach their full potential?
As a part of our community-based journalism, Maine Public presents a year-long series of news reports on Maine Public Radio, online and our social media platforms that highlight the benefits, and opportunities for Maine’s children. We will also shine a light on the significant challenges our young people face in an increasingly complex world - and in Maine.
This series will provide connections and answer what do Maine’s kids need to navigate everyday life - and reach their full potential.
Series stories
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Mainspring will centralize intake and assessment and share case data to streamline a social service system that many vulnerable Mainers struggle to navigate. -
According to the latest edition of the KIDS COUNT Data Book, the number of children in poverty in Maine declined from 2019 to 2022, and more parents found secure employment. However Maine continues to fall behind other New England states. -
Maine boasts nearly two dozen Boys and Girls clubs. And as youth face increasingly dire challenges, many clubs are rising to meet those needs. In Waterville, the Boys and Girls Club is celebrating its 100th anniversary and it’s a prime example of the ways the nonprofit can support kids and families in Maine. -
The dire shortage of qualified teachers in Maine, and what's being done about it -
Over the past year and a half, dozens of motivated community members in Rockland have come together to figure out how to better support their most troubled, often most vulnerable, youth. -
The Halal School Meals Network launched in April, offering certified halal meals at three schools in Westbrook, Portland, and South Portland. -
The mental health challenging that affect mothers, and what's being done to help moms in need -
Clinicians are in hundreds of schools across Maine. But providers now warn that the funding behind these arrangements is unsustainable. -
Newly published data from the Maine Department of Education show a slight decline this fall to about 172,600 students, which is about 4% below pre-pandemic levels. -
Budget challenges could lead to cuts in school-based mental health clinic operations, which could hobble an effective system for getting students the help they urgently need.
