Governor Mills Cuts Ribbon on Sanford Child Care Center Expansion Funded by Governor's Jobs Plan

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July 23, 2024
Office of Governor

Sanford-Springvale YMCA will offer free, full-day Pre-K in partnership with City of Sanford

Sanford, MAINE �€" Governor Janet Mills today participated in a ribbon cutting ceremony for a major expansion of the Sanford-Springvale YMCA child care center funded in part by the Governor's Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan.

Utilizing a $250,000 Jobs Plan Child Care Infrastructure Grant provided through the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the Sanford-Springvale YMCA constructed three new classrooms that will accommodate 46 additional children in its child care program.

Beginning with the 2024�€"2025 school year, one of the new classrooms will provide 16 children with access to full-day public pre-kindergarten offered in partnership with the Sanford School Department. A $157,000 Pre-K Partnership grant awarded by the Mills Administration through the Department of Education will allow the first year of the program to be offered to families free of charge.

"High quality early childhood programs prepare kids for success and give parents important peace of mind knowing that their children are learning in a safe environment," said Governor Janet Mills. "Investments from my Jobs Plan are creating more opportunities for children and families �€" in Sanford, Springvale, and across the state �€" to benefit from these programs. My Administration will continue working to expand access to these vital programs."

"High-quality, affordable child care strengthens families by helping children grow and thrive while their parents work and learn," said Sara Gagné-Holmes, Acting Commissioner of the Maine Department of Health and Human Services. "The Governor's historic investments in child care, including here in my hometown of Sanford, are helping providers expand capacity, recruit and retain talented staff, and more affordably serve Maine families. Continuing this support is part of our broader work to chart a brighter future for Maine's child care system."

"Since 1941, the Sanford-Springvale YMCA has been serving Sanford, Springvale and our surrounding communities focusing on youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. As one of the largest providers of child care and camp in York county we continue to seek ways to meet the growing need for quality childcare," said Andy Orazio, CEO of the Sanford-Springvale YMCA. "The funds received from the childcare expansion grant allowed us to leverage those dollars to raise additional funds from our local stakeholders to make this vision possible. We cannot thank Governor Mills enough for making childcare a priority in the state of Maine."

"The expansion of the Sanford-Springvale YMCA child care center is a significant milestone for our community," said Representative Anne-Marie Mastraccio. "This investment not only addresses the critical need for quality child care in our area but also has far-reaching implications for our workforce. Lack of accessible child care options has been a significant barrier for many working parents, often forcing them to make difficult choices. By constructing three new classrooms, the Sanford-Springvale YMCA can now accommodate and additional 30 children in its child care programs, alleviating a burden on many working families and expanding opportunities for our children to learn and thrive."

The YMCA expansion is part of a larger effort by the Mills Administration to expand child care options in greater Sanford. In 2022, the Sanford School Department was awarded a $321,500 Pre-K Expansion Grant through the Governor's Job Plan that funded the construction of four new Pre-K classrooms at Sanford schools. One of the classrooms, located at Sanford Regional Technical Center, also provides learning opportunities for York County high school students studying early childhood education.

The Sanford YMCA is also one of seventeen child care centers in Maine selected to participate in the four First4ME Pilot Program sites. As part of the pilot, the Y received $35,000 from the Maine Department of Health and Human Services to help purchase equipment, materials and supplies to provide quality programming

In total, Governor Mills has dedicated $120 million in Federal funding from her Jobs Plan and other sources to strengthen and expand child care options in Maine. As a result of these State and Federal investments, Maine has created permanent salary supports for over 7,500 child care workers, helping qualified professionals remain in the industry, rewarding teachers who have years of experience and higher credentials, and supporting programs to retain staff.

The Mills Administration, through DHHS, has additionally incentivized construction of new and expanded child care facilities, adding as many as 5,000 new slots to serve Maine children. DHHS has also improved access to the Child Care Affordability Program, which helps eligible families pay for child care so parents can work, go to school, or participate in job training.

As of July 1, 2024, the Department increased reimbursement rates for providers that participate in the program and increased the income limit from 85 to 125 percent of the state's median income (when adjusted for family size). Additionally, recent legislation phases in a number of changes to the program by 2030, including further expanding eligibility to families earning up to 250 percent of the state's median income, and limiting child care costs to no more than seven percent of a family's income. Maine's Child Care Affordability Program currently serves more than 3,600 Maine children.

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