State legislation to reduce the cost of child care and bring more stability to providers was signed into law this week.
Gov. Janet Mills signed LD 1728, legislation that makes several affordability measures for child care instituted by her administration permanent.
Mills, a Democrat, is running for the U.S. Senate seat held by U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine. The primary is June 9.
Direct provider pay
Since 2019, the Mills administration has invested more than $145 million in state and federal funding to strengthen and expand affordable early care and education across Maine.
Through the administration’s Child Care Affordability Program, more than 3,000 children can access care through a state subsidy that helps defray costs for families by paying providers directly and limiting out-of-pocket expenses based on income.
The legislation signed on Monday, “An Act to Improve Affordability, Stability and Access in the Child Care Affordability Program,” locks those cost protections into law.
More child care slots
Mills was joined by Senate President Mattie Daughtry and bill sponsor Sen. Henry Ingwersen at the St. Louis Child Development Center in Biddeford.
The bill “reflects what we’ve been hearing from families and providers across Maine, and it’s especially meaningful to have signed the bill at a center we visited during our statewide child care tour,” said Daughtry.
The legislation is part of a broader effort to lower costs and strengthen the child care system, Daughtry said.
Since 2019, Maine has created more than 6,100 new slots for child care and is working to retain child care staff by providing salary supplements to an average of 7,742 early childhood educators per month, according to a news release.
Through her Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan, Mills dedicated $10 million in federal funds to expand the availability and accessibility of pre-K programs. Maine has seen a 24% increase in pre-K enrollment since 2018, reaching its highest level of enrollment in the 2025-26 school year.
