Speaker Fecteau Introduces Bill to Expand Access to Child Care

LD 1428 would make it easier to start child care businesses to support Maine families

AUGUSTA – Speaker Ryan D. Fecteau (D-Biddeford) this week introduced a bill (LD 1428) that would help child care entrepreneurs open facilities to increase the number of child care spaces across the state.

“Child care programs and the workers who staff them make it possible for parents to go to work knowing that their children are well cared-for and safe,” said Speaker Ryan Fecteau. “The trouble is, we do not have enough childcare for all the Maine families who need it. This bill attempts to make it easier for those who have the spark of entrepreneurship to open child care businesses, expanding access across our state while continuing to adhere to the licensing requirements and safety standards that are currently in place.”

LD 1428 proposes to:

• Allow child care facilities and family child care providers to operate without an outdoor recreational space if the operation is within one-quarter of a mile of an outdoor public recreational space.

• Allow the community rooms that are required as part of the projects built using low-income housing tax credits to be used as child care facilities or family child care providers.

• Require municipalities to allow child care facilities and family child care providers to operate in an area that is zoned for residential purposes.

Child care and business leaders shared support for the bill during Thursday’s public hearing:

“Child care access is closely tied to housing, transportation, and employment. When childcare is unavailable or unaffordable, parents may be forced to leave the workforce. In contrast, accessible and affordable child care supports working families and strengthens the local economy,” said Heather Marden, Co-Executive Director of the Maine Association for the Education of Young Children. “LD 1428 reflects the kind of smart, practical policy we need to grow Maine’s child care supply and support working families. It reduces unnecessary regulatory burdens, uses existing community assets more effectively, and aligns Maine with national best practices.”

“Expanding access to child care isn’t just feel-good policy – it has profound and long-lasting benefits for our children, our families and our entire state,” said Representative Tavis Hasenfus, a bill cosponsor who chaired the Commission to Study Expansion of Public Preschool and Early Care and Education. “In addition to giving working parents more opportunities to grow their careers and participate in our economy, it provides a strong foundation for our kids’ education. As elected leaders, it’s incumbent upon all of us to ensure a brighter future for all Maine families, and this bill will help us achieve that.”

The Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee will hold a work session on the bill in the coming weeks.

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