The current ECE structure in Kennebec and Somerset Counties

Despite a declining school-age and pre-school population, the demand exceeds the supply of places for child care in Kennebec and Somerset Counties (as in most of the country).

Child care needs in Kennebec and Somerset:

Total Census population aged 0-4: 9,271 children in 2000.

Total Census population aged 5-9: 10,935 in 2000.

Note that these numbers are declining by 1% to 2% a year.

Infants and Toddlers (Months 0 to 36):

· If 60% of children 0-4 have two working parents:

Children aged 0-36 months in Ken/Som = 5,500

Need = 3,300 places.

Capacity today = less than 1,500 places

Pre-school (month 36 to K):

· If 65% of children aged 3 and 4 have working parents:

Children aged 3 and 4 = 3,700

Need = approximately 2,400 places

Capacity today = approximately 2,000 places including 200 in public school pre-K programs and 300 in Head Start programs.

· Cost: Somerset County, Maine: $90 per week (40 hours) per infant (0-18 months); $75 per toddler (18-36 months). Kennebec County: around $100 per week – a little more where quality certification exists and the market permits it; a little less for non-quality certified providers. $2.50 per hour (for an infant) takes around one-third of the average wage of working mothers in the region. Parents cannot pay more.

Before and After School Care:

· Of the 120,000 or so Maine children who are between the ages of 6 and 12, about 70 percent come from families with working parents. Less than half of these are cared for after school by "kith and kin" (informal care). The rest – about 46,000 young children – need some time in supervised out-of-home care, but there are only 12,000 slots available in the State.

In Kennebec and Somerset, of an estimated 2004 population of approximately 10,000 children aged 5 to 9, this would suggest a need of approximately 3,500 slots for B&A care. The total of available slots is estimated to be about 1,500, with the remaining children being in the informal care of family or neighbors, or left to their own devices for some period of time.

Most after-school programs, whether based in schools, recreation centers, churches, homes or other facilities, depend primarily on the financial support of parents. That cost is significant, and helps explains why so many children get minimal or no care. In Maine, parents pay an average of $49 per week for care in centers before and after school, versus $46 in home care. In summer months, they pay an average of $89 a week for care in centers, and $74 in home care. These fees, however, barely cover the cost of running even the most basic programs.

ECE intermediaries and provider networks in Kennebec and Somerset:

A preliminary observation: it is noteworthy that, despite a possibly confusing and overlapping set of responsibilities, due to Maine’s very decentralized and somewhat fluid system of child care intermediaries, the leading organizations in the Ken-Som region have close, collaborative relationships and view each other as partners, not competitors. This is not so in many areas of the state.

1. Resource Development Center:

· Child Care Options (operated by SKCDC)
99 Western Avenue, Suite 6
Augusta, ME 04330
1-800-525-2229 or (207)626-3410

(Note: northernmost Somerset County is covered by Penquis CAP.)

Resource Development Centers are funded by Maine’s DHS to provide services to the public (child care referrals, and administering the state’s voucher subsidy program) and to providers (training, including Maine Roads to Quality and the elective national Child Development Associate credential; a resource library; and community action to promote child care).

2. Head Start and Home Start.

Federally funded Head Start programs are administered through the Maine DHS’ Office of Head Start and Child Care. In Kennebec and Somerset, these are administered by KVCAP (northern Kennebec and Somerset) and SKCDC. In addition, Catholic Charities supports a number of Home Start homes within their network of FCCs. There are 13 Head Start centers and 22 Home Start homes in the two counties, serving approximately 400 children in centers and 80 children in FCCs. Importantly, Home Start is available from the age of 6 weeks onwards, unlike conventional Head Start centers serving 3- and 4-year-olds. See also KVCAP and SKCDC, below.

3. An FCC network manager: Catholic Charities

Catholic Charities Maine (CCMe) serves approximately 113 Family Child Care homes (out of 270 licensed FCCs in the region) with a range of services. At the most basic level, all FCCs in the network receive assistance with USDA food service subsidy reimbursement, and are inspected at least three times a year by CCMe. These homes are all on CCMe’s referral list. However, CCMe’s greater focus in on a smaller ‘core network’ of approximately 40 FCC providers who hold a minimum qualification of the Child Development Associate certificate, and to which CCMe allocates its approximately 60 subsidy ‘slots’ in the two-county region (of 162 CCMe slots state wide). There are 13 slot programs operating in Maine, but CCMe’s is the only one operating in Ken-Som.

4. KVCAP

KVCAP is similar to other Maine Community Action Program agencies in providing a wide range of services from low-income housing to transportation and family planning to heating assistance. KVCAP’s child care division operates Head Start and oversees Home Start programs in about two-thirds of the Ken-Som region. KVCAP supports other centers and FCCs with referrals, food service reimbursement, training and quality certification programs, and a resource library.

5. SKCDC

Southern Kennebec County Child Development Center operates both Head Start and non-Head Start centers in the Augusta – Gardiner area, as well as contracting with the state to operate the two-county RDC. SKCDC operates 5 Head Start Centers, supports two other Head Start programs, and operates two non-Head Start centers.

6. School district-based pre-K programs

Around half the school districts in the Ken-Som region now have in-school, pre-K programs. This number is expected to grow.

Districts include:

o Augusta

o Fayette

o Winthrop

o SAD 13 (Moscow)

o SAD 47 (Belgrade/Oakland/Sidney)

o SAD 48 (Hartland/Palmyra/St. Albans)

o SAD 49 (Fairfield)

o SAD 59 (Athens/Starks)

Programs cover a wide range, including both ‘Early Kindergarten’ and 4-year-old programs; half-day, (full) school-day, and before-and after-school programs; partnerships with ECE providers and with Head Start; programs with school district funding and programs with none.

Other service delivery providers:

· Child care centers: other than Head Start and other centers referred to under KVCAP and SKCDC above, there are a handful of other centers including:

o YMCAs in Augusta (also Manchester) and Waterville

o Employer-supported centers at Maine General Hospital and on the state office complex

o Independent, for-profit and not-for-profit centers.

· Family Care Homes: 280 licensed homes, averaging 5 children each. These provide the majority of places in the system in Kennebec and Somerset.

· ‘Trust Me’ homes (unlicensed, legal sector) Approx. 120 homes, averaging 1.5 unrelated children plus own child(ren)..

· Independent pre-schools:

o Montessori schools in Hallowell, Fairfield, Skowhegan

o Catholic parish schools with pre-K programs in Augusta, Waterville, Winslow and Pittsfield

o Two other DOE-licensed pre-schools.