child care

One of the biggest changes that students are facing as schools reopen this fall are new "hybrid" schedules, in which they may go to class just two or three days per week. That is also challenging for many parents who are now scrambling to find child care in a state where access and cost were major barriers, even before the pandemic.

When the coronavirus pandemic swept across the country this spring, child care facilities in Maine were designated as “essential” businesses. Many closed anyway, but are now in the process of reopening, some at reduced capacity.

This is a special two-hour Maine Calling program in response to the pressing issues facing Maine during the coronavirus crisis. For the second hour, click here.

As Maine feels the life-altering effects of the coronavirus crisis, most workplaces, businesses and schools are shutting down. But this raises a new set of challenges.

In the first hour of Monday's show, we address the child care dilemma that is facing Maine during this difficult time. Many who must continue to work — from those in the service industry and emergency workers to health care providers — still need care for their young children. Child care centers are finding themselves taking on more children, even as schools are mostly closed at this point. We'll learn how the state and the individual child care centers are addressing the pressing child care issues facing Maine.

In recent days, schools across Maine have closed as part of the state's strategy to limit the spread of COVID-19. But state health officials acknowledge that the situation is more complicated for child care facilities. While many have shut down, others are staying open and taking on an increasingly important role in providing care for the children of health care workers and other essential employees.

Maine Senate President Troy Jackson announced a new bill Friday that he says will increase access to quality child care for Maine's most vulnerable families. It has the backing of several educators, child advocates and businesses, who say that improving child care is critical for both Maine families and for the state’s economy.