Daughtry says expanded childcare will ease summer stress for Midcoast families

Nearly 1,000 more children will now have access to child care in Brunswick, Pownal, Freeport, Harpswell and Chebeague Island as Midcoast families head into the summer months without the school-day routines many parents rely on. Mattie Daughtry said the expansion is direct relief for families in those communities who are trying to cover work schedules, summer camps and child care at the same time.

Maine’s Child Care Affordability Program helps eligible families pay for child care so parents can work, go to school or take part in job training. Families making up to 125% of Maine’s median income may qualify. Child care can cost as much as or more than rent or a mortgage, a burden that lands hardest in months when school is out and parents need full-day coverage.

A May 2026 memo from the Department of Health and Human Services said the Child Care Affordability Program had exhausted available funding and that new state money was being used to reduce a waitlist. Maine parents spend between $8,000 and $15,000 a year on child care, depending on the child’s age.

In January 2026, after a statewide listening tour, Daughtry unveiled a package of child care bills aimed at bolstering the affordability program, getting families off the waitlist and providing grants for after-hours care. Another 2026 bill she introduced focused on increasing infant and toddler care.

In March 2026, her administration said Maine had invested more than $145 million in state and federal funding to expand child care and early childhood education, helping create more than 6,100 additional child care slots. Mills also said Maine reached its highest Pre-K enrollment ever in the 2025-2026 school year.