$95,000 to Help United Way Expand Access to Child Care in Southern Maine Secured by Senator Collins
Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senator Susan Collins, a senior member of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, announced today that she secured $95,000 in the Fiscal Year 2022 Financial Services Appropriations bill to help United Way of Southern Maine expand access to quality child care.
The omnibus funding package passed the House and the Senate and now heads to the President’s desk to be signed into law.
“The ongoing public health and economic crisis has underscored the fact that parents and employers alike need more quality child care options. United Way of Southern Maine is a longtime leader in this important area, and they are hard at work to increase this needed access and improve the lives of families and communities,” said Senator Collins. “I strongly advocated for this funding, which will assist United Way in their efforts and enable them to provide more support and training for Mainers looking to launch child care businesses and open facilities across the region.”
“Without affordable, accessible, and quality child care, entire segments of our community are removed from employment or education opportunities – holding back families from becoming financially stable and shrinking our workforce,” said Liz Cotter Schlax, President & CEO, United Way of Southern Maine. “The pandemic has shone a spotlight on the fragility of our child care system and exacerbated the extreme need in Southern Maine. This federal support could not come at a more crucial time, and we thank Senator Collins for her leadership in securing $95,000 to enable six entrepreneurs to open new child care businesses, which will support more than 70 children and their families.”
This funding will help United Way of Southern Maine to expand their Childcare Workforce and Entrepreneurship Initiative, which helps new child care entrepreneurs successfully navigate their journey, with the necessary support, training, technical assistance, and financial investment to open their own child care business.
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