Nearly $650,000 for New Mobile Unit for Aroostook County Action Program 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 $643,000 for a new mobile unit for Aroostook County Action Program (ACAP) in the Fiscal Year 2022 Health and Human Services Appropriations bill.  

The omnibus funding package passed the House and the Senate and now heads to the President’s desk to be signed into law.

“For half a century, ACAP has served as a trusted community resource and helped Aroostook County residents achieve greater economic independence by connecting them with services they need to thrive,” said Senator Collins.  “The current public health and economic crisis underscores the need to lift up struggling families and provide a brighter future for children in Maine and throughout the country.  I strongly advocated for this funding, which will help ACAP assist even more families.”

“Over the past two years, our Agency has served greater numbers of families and individuals, many who have never turned to us for support.  Through this time we have offered remote services to ensure the health and wellbeing of our customers and staff,” said Jason Parent, ACAP CEO.  “As we reconnect with people in person, we recognize that the vast, rural region we serve, and the challenges many in our county face with access to transportation, requires us to be innovative in meeting needs.  This mobile service unit project, championed by Senator Collins, will ensure that we can better serve the entire region and meet people where they are at.”

This funding would support the acquisition, initial development, and infrastructure of a mobile unit that will bring resources directly to the most rural and underserved communities of northern Maine. ACAP’s Whole Family Approach Program combines elements from child-focused and parent-focused coaching to give families greater access to early childhood care, peer support, health services, post-secondary education and employment, and affordable housing and transportation.

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