Topsham Daycare Extends Hours to 11 PM to Aid Late-Shift Workers

Stepping Stones Day Care Center will extend operating hours at its Topsham and Lisbon Falls locations to remain open until 11 p.m., owner and director Danielle Creamer told WGME. Creamer said the change is intended to support Maine families working late shifts, specifically calling out “nurses and medical staff that work 12-hour shifts” who need care beyond traditional pickup times.

Creamer told WGME the center has seen strong demand from families needing extra child care time and described situations where local support is limited. “Some parents don't have family around, they're moving from out of state and coming here, and they don't have anybody to pick their kids up at day care and keep them until mom and dad get out of work. So this way, they know they are staying with the same caregivers,” she said. An Instagram post from the center echoed the announcement: “Daycare centre in Topsham and Lisbon Falls will soon extend its hours and continue operating until 11 PM. There's a lot of nurses, medical staff.”

The expansion comes against a statewide backdrop of constrained child care capacity that affects labor-force participation. WGME cited the Maine Center for Economic Policy estimate that in 2025 roughly 18,000 people in Maine were out of the labor force because they lacked child care options. Stepping Stones’ move to add late hours is framed as a local response to that broader economic strain, with Creamer positioning the extended schedule as a way to keep children with familiar caregivers when parents work long shifts.

Several operational details remain unresolved in the information released so far. Creamer did not provide a start date or say whether the 11 p.m. schedule will apply seven days a week or only on weekdays. The center has not released specifics on staffing levels, staff-to-child ratios during late hours, any additional hires, licensing approvals, or whether families will pay extra fees for the later pickup time.

Local health-care workers and Sagadahoc County employers stand to benefit if the extended hours materialize as planned, since Topsham and Lisbon Falls are key residential communities for workers at nearby clinics and hospitals. CBS 13 News also covered the announcement, and WGME published the interview containing Creamer’s comments and the center’s rationale.

For parents balancing 12-hour shifts and relocation to the area, Stepping Stones’ announcement offers a concrete option to bridge work and family obligations. Without a published start date or operational plan, however, families and policymakers will be watching for the center to release details on implementation, licensing compliance, and whether the 11 p.m. schedule will be a permanent expansion or a temporary pilot.