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An Act To Attract, Build and Retain an Early Childhood Education Workforce through Increased Training, Education and Career Pathways
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  22 MRSA §3740-A  is enacted to read:
§ 3740-A. Early childhood educators workforce support program
The commissioner, the Commissioner of Education and the Commissioner of Labor jointly shall develop and implement an early childhood educators workforce support program, referred to in this section as "the program," to recruit and retain early childhood educators working with children up to 5 years of age. Components of the program must include the following:
 
1.  Career and technical education.     Increasing opportunities for course work in early childhood education by:
 
A.  Expanding the number of career and technical education centers at which early childhood education programs are available;
 
B.  Supporting early childhood education courses through funding for training and the purchase of updated textbooks, equipment and other course materials; and
 
C.  Creating articulation agreements with the Maine Community College System for the transfer of credits for course work related to early childhood education and enrollment in courses in furtherance of the issuance of a postsecondary degree;
 
2.  Comprehensive scholarships.     Providing comprehensive scholarships that allow individuals, such as those providing family child care, directors of child care centers and early childhood educators, to attain early childhood education credentials and take courses at accredited institutions leading to associate or bachelor's degrees. The scholarships must be structured with the goal of allowing an individual who agrees to work for at least one year following graduation with an approved employer to graduate without student debt;
 
3.  Apprenticeships.     Expanding the number of apprenticeships available in early childhood child care. The apprenticeships must be registered with the Department of Labor and offered in partnership with a professional development network that promotes and supports professionalism in the early childhood child care and education field and that is operated by a state institution of higher education and must meet any additional criteria established by rule adopted pursuant to this section; and
 
4.  Salary supplements.     Establishing a system of salary supplements for providers of child care and early childhood educators working with children up to 5 years of age. The system of salary supplements must:
 
A.  Be on a graded scale that awards salary supplements to an individual based on the level of education and experience of the individual;
 
B.  Award salary supplements to an individual whose employer is a program or school that is ranked by the office based on the quality of the program or school; and
 
C.  Award salary supplements to an individual who has registered on a statewide registry that uses a member's work, education and training histories, along with any professional credentials, to assign a level on a scale appropriate to that career.
The commissioner, the Commissioner of Education and the Commissioner of Labor shall adopt routine technical rules pursuant to Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A to implement the provisions of this section.
Sec. 2. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and allocations are made.
 
EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF
 
General Purpose Aid for Local Schools 0308
 
Initiative: Provides ongoing funds to support the expansion of early childhood education programs currently offered by 20 career and technical education centers in the State to 27 career and technical education centers and to update textbooks, equipment and other curriculum materials.

GENERAL FUND	2019-20	2020-21	
All Other	$250,000	$250,000	
			
GENERAL FUND TOTAL	$250,000	$250,000	

EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF			
DEPARTMENT TOTALS	2019-20	2020-21	
			
GENERAL FUND	$250,000	$250,000	
			
DEPARTMENT TOTAL - ALL FUNDS	$250,000	$250,000	

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF
 
Child Care Services 0563
 
Initiative: Provides ongoing funding for education and experience-based salary supplements for early childhood educators working with children from birth to 5 years of age.

GENERAL FUND	2019-20	2020-21	
All Other	$2,500,000	$2,500,000	
			
GENERAL FUND TOTAL	$2,500,000	$2,500,000	

Child Care Services 0563
 
Initiative: Provides ongoing allocations for comprehensive scholarships to early childhood educators working with children from birth to 5 years of age.

FEDERAL BLOCK GRANT FUND	2019-20	2020-21	
All Other	$400,000	$400,000	
			
FEDERAL BLOCK GRANT FUND TOTAL	$400,000	$400,000	

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF			
DEPARTMENT TOTALS	2019-20	2020-21	
			
GENERAL FUND	$2,500,000	$2,500,000	
FEDERAL BLOCK GRANT FUND	$400,000	$400,000	
			
DEPARTMENT TOTAL - ALL FUNDS	$2,900,000	$2,900,000	

LABOR, DEPARTMENT OF
 
Employment Services Activity 0852
 
Initiative: Provides ongoing funds to expand the apprenticeship program for those working in the field of early childhood child care and education offered by the Maine Roads to Quality Professional Development Network in partnership with the State's higher education system and for the staffing and indirect costs to support the program.

GENERAL FUND	2019-20	2020-21	
All Other	$300,000	$300,000	
			
GENERAL FUND TOTAL	$300,000	$300,000	

LABOR, DEPARTMENT OF			
DEPARTMENT TOTALS	2019-20	2020-21	
			
GENERAL FUND	$300,000	$300,000	
			
DEPARTMENT TOTAL - ALL FUNDS	$300,000	$300,000	

SECTION TOTALS	2019-20	2020-21	
			
GENERAL FUND	$3,050,000	$3,050,000	
FEDERAL BLOCK GRANT FUND	$400,000	$400,000	
			
SECTION TOTAL - ALL FUNDS	$3,450,000	$3,450,000	

SUMMARY
This bill requires the Commissioner of Health and Human Services, the Commissioner of Education and the Commissioner of Labor jointly to develop and implement an early childhood educators workforce support program to recruit and retain early childhood educators working with children up to 5 years of age. Components of the program include:
1. Expansion of educational programs at career and technical education centers and financial support of those programs;
2. Comprehensive scholarships for persons taking classes toward the attainment of an early childhood education credential or an associate or bachelor's degree that allow the persons to graduate without student debt as long as the persons agree to work for a year with an approved employer;
3. An increased number of apprenticeships; and
4. Salary supplements awarded to individuals who provide child care or who are early childhood educators. The amount of the supplement is based on the level of education and experience of the individual and other factors.
This bill also provides funding to carry out the program.