Quality Child Care to Increase through Agency Partnerships
Project Coordinated by Kennebec/Somerset ACCESS

The U.S. Administration for Children and Families awarded the Kennebec/Somerset ACCESS Collaborative a $998,029.00 grant to increase the quality in child care homes and centers throughout the two county areas. This seventeen-month grant will be used to enhance early childhood, promote effective parent, increase access for children with special needs, strengthen the quality of learning environments and remove barriers by building capacity through cooperating businesses. This grant will affect 2500 children, 1000 families, and 300 childcare providers in Kennebec and Somerset Counties. The ACCESS Collaborative, a initiative to improved early learning opportunities of Maine youth, consists of representatives from educational, non-profit, and government agencies providing child care services to children five years of age and younger. Representatives include:  Catholic Charities of Maine, KVCAP Child & Family Services, Goodwill Employment Services, Kennebec Valley Community College, the University of Maine at Augusta, SKCDC, Child Care Options, and Augusta Adult Education. The Kennebec Somerset ACCESS Executive Committee will manage the grant. Partners in the project include Coastal Enterprises, Inc., Child Care Options-Resource Development Center, the University of Maine Center for Community Inclusion, Maine Parent Federation, Maine Roads to Quality at the University of Southern Maine, and Kennebec Valley Community Action Program (KVCAP). Glenwood Research of Portland, Maine will conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the project.

Project PLUS Overview (Multimedia) Project PLUS Goals and Objective Event Calendar New! -- Link here to the Children's Congress PDF file

Contact Information Kennebec/Somerset ACCESS Executive Committee Project PLUS Partners Project PLUS Coordinator Project PLUS Contact Information Form

The ECE Delivery System Project PLUS Activities Mentors and Inclusion Partner Monthly Reports