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An Act To Increase Access to Child Care and Early Education for Maine's Working Families
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and allocations are made.
 
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF
 
Office of Child Care and Head Start
 
Initiative: Provides funding to increase the amount of subsidy for the child care subsidy program to accommodate the increased cost of care since 2002.

GENERAL FUND	2007-08	2008-09	
All Other	$3,000,000	$3,000,000	
 	  	  	
GENERAL FUND TOTAL	$3,000,000	$3,000,000	

Office of Child Care and Head Start
 
Initiative: Provides funding for child care for at-risk families in order to avoid the placement of their children in the custody of the State.

GENERAL FUND	2007-08	2008-09	
All Other	$1,000,000	$1,000,000	
 	  	  	
GENERAL FUND TOTAL	$1,000,000	$1,000,000	

Office of Child Care and Head Start
 
Initiative: Provides funding to increase by 20% the amount of subsidy for child care in programs of quality, to expand the number of infants and children receiving the subsidy and to expand family income eligibility for the subsidy to 100% of the state median income.

GENERAL FUND	2007-08	2008-09	
All Other	$1,500,000	$1,500,000	
 	  	  	
GENERAL FUND TOTAL	$1,500,000	$1,500,000	

Office of Child Care and Head Start
 
Initiative: Provides funding to increase the funding for early Head Start and Head Start services to increase by 20 the number of children receiving services per region and to expand income eligibility for families.

GENERAL FUND	2007-08	2008-09	
All Other	$1,500,000	$1,500,000	
 	  	  	
GENERAL FUND TOTAL	$1,500,000	$1,500,000	

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF	 	 	
DEPARTMENT TOTALS	2007-08	2008-09	
GENERAL FUND	$7,000,000	$7,000,000	
 	  	  	
DEPARTMENT TOTAL - ALL FUNDS	$7,000,000	$7,000,000	

SUMMARY
This bill makes ongoing General Fund appropriations of $7,000,000 per year for subsidized child care, Head Start and early Head Start services.