@StrongPortland profile picture
Starting Strong Portland @StrongPortland

We are a community working together to ensure children in Portland, Maine read by the end of third grade.

Joined March 2021
  • Tweets 216
  • Following 82
  • Followers 27
97 Photos and videos
"We often use public school in comparison: Public schools will get publicly funded regardless of the days kids are there. We want the same public funding for this subsidy program." - Heather Marden, @maineaeyc More from @lecournews @newscentermaine: newscentermaine.com/article/…

Maine lawmakers take closer look at financial hardships in state's child care system

Lawmakers held a children's caucus Tuesday, hoping to get to the root of the issue.

newscentermaine.com
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We love to see these innovative partnerships address community workforce and childcare needs! Thank you Association of Community College Trustees and @NatlHeadStart for fostering these critical collaborations. @NPR @MorningEdition @ElissaNadworny npr.org/2024/03/11/123661940…
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🧡 Maine Families, @opp_alliance, and @PortPublicLibME are partnering to host a very special multilingual sing-along! portlandlibrary.com/events/m…
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"If child care fails, parents cannot work and businesses cannot stay open. Support of our child care system is critical to the economic stability of our communities both today and into the future." More from @bangordailynews: bangordailynews.com/2024/03/…

State leaders should continue to invest in child care and not backpedal 

"Support of our child care system is critical to the economic stability of our communities both today and into the future."

bangordailynews.com
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Be part of advocacy for the early childhood field in Maine! Join @maineaeyc for the Education of Young Children for Statehouse Day 2024! Register here: secure.everyaction.com/Vszfe…
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✨ This is a great opportunity to share your voice with @PortPublicLibME !
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Some days can be long with little ones! We love these simple ideas from @2SmallToFail you can do together in your home.
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Check out what's going on via @maineresilience! In partnership with @mdoenews, MRBN has designed a series of free professional development workshops specifically for educators and caregivers who work with children ages 0-8. maineresilience.org/events?E…
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📰 It’s tax time, which can often lead to confusion for families with questions about Maine’s Dependent Care State Tax Credit. You can access this information (and more) from @MaineDHHS with added context: maine.gov/dhhs/ocfs/support-…
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Let's get reading! The @mdoenews "Read to ME Challenge" is an annual campaign to promote childhood literacy and the enjoyment of reading. Learn more from @newscentermaine: newscentermaine.com/article/…

Are you up for the 'Read to ME Challenge'?

The Maine Department of Education’s "Read to ME Challenge" encourages children’s literacy and the enjoyment of reading.

newscentermaine.com
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Join in a shared journey of learning and charting a course of action to dismantle racism in our food system and our world. 🥬🫘🥘Learn more about @FoodSolutionsNE & register! foodsolutionsne.org/21-day-r…
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Looking for engaging and practical professional development that teachers value? Kind Mind engage teachers and parents in their emotional well-being and offer an easy-to-use program, so they can support children socially, behaviorally, and emotionally. kindmindeducation.com/PD-wor…
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"The childcare crisis should be a major red flag for everyone, not just parents...It is a systemic failure that will impact our nation's economic growth, and that affects us all." - Brad Wilson, CEO , @CareDotCom newsweek.com/child-care-cost…

Childcare now costs more than college as parents fork over $36,000 a year

The consequences of rising childcare costs are prominently seen in families' savings accounts.

newsweek.com
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"This center will provide quality child care for families at @JacksonLab and in our community for many years to come.” - Catherine Longley, the lab’s executive vice president and COO More from @mainebizrei @Mainebiz: mainebiz.biz/article/jackson…

Jackson Lab opens $4.5M on-site child care center in Bar Harbor

The center is viewed as a critical recruitment and retention tool. At full capacity, it will increase the number of licensed child care spots on Mount Desert Island by over 30%.

mainebiz.biz
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🛠 New Toolkit for Employers to Support Child Care for Their Employees! @mainegov_news bestplace4workingparents.com…
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Starting Strong Portland retweeted
United Way of Southern Maine@uwsme
4 Oct 2023
Parents and caregivers need access to child care to thrive. Here are a few ways @uwsme is tackling this issue: ✨investing in early childhood centers. ✨advocating for child care centers and workers. ✨providing pathways to employment or entrepreneurship for child care workers.
Starting Strong Portland@StrongPortland
4 Oct 2023
According to @MECEP1, at least 24,000 Mainers have left their professions within the last year because of a lack of access to childcare. Learn more from @newscentermaine: newscentermaine.com/article/…
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A program of Starting Strong, First4ME Portland is a two-generation framework for a coordinated birth to kindergarten-entry program that provides quality early care to support a child’s school readiness, regardless of risk factors. uwsme.org/2023/10/were-hirin…
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According to @MECEP1, at least 24,000 Mainers have left their professions within the last year because of a lack of access to childcare. Learn more from @newscentermaine: newscentermaine.com/article/…

More parents opting to leave workforce completely due to childcare costs

According to the Maine Center for Economic Policy, at least 24,000 Mainers have left their professions within the last year because of a lack of access to childcare.

newscentermaine.com
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Starting Strong Portland retweeted
Office of Head Start@HeadStartgov
2 Oct 2023
October is #HeadStartAwarenessMonth! Head Start programs empower both children and families by delivering essential support in early learning, health, and family well-being. Throughout October, join us in celebrating the past, present, and future of the Head Start program!
Graphic with text, "Happy Head Start Awareness Month."

ALT Graphic with text, "Happy Head Start Awareness Month."
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The child care industry has long been unstable, defined by poverty-level wages, high staff turnover, razor-thin margins, a shortage of child care slots and skyrocketing costs for families. Read more from @PressHerald @LanaCohen95: pressherald.com/2023/10/01/c…

Child care providers close doors, reduce capacity as federal funds run out

In Maine and across the nation, the end of pandemic-related federal support is causing another round of closures and downsizing in the struggling industry.

pressherald.com
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