I was an early childhood teacher for 40-plus years. I taught teachers at the University of New England while serving as the director of the UNE children’s center. I founded Cocoons Day School in Kennebunk. I’m extraordinarily worried about the future of early childhood education in Maine.

The average childcare teacher in Maine earns an hourly wage of only $15. The average McDonalds line worker earns an hourly wage of $16. If Maine does not financially support Maine childcare teachers by maintaining grants allocated with LD 210, teachers will hemorrhage from the profession. They can not afford to take a cut in their salary.

Without teachers, state mandated student-teacher ratios can not be met forcing childcare centers to either cut enrollment or close. Seventy-four percent of Maine children live in families where both parents work; 24% of Maine children live in single-parent families.

Without childcare, parents cannot go to work, creating an even bigger employee shortage for businesses and services.

Early childhood teachers lay the foundation for children’s development during the most critical period of brain development. Whenever early intervention is not implement, the cost of these services in public school increases by tens of thousands of dollars per child.

A newly implemented Maine licensing program, Rising Stars, has admirably addressed the need for more accountability in early childhood centers. In reality, however, the state can not hold early childhood educators to higher standards while cutting their funding.

Even if you’re not a kid person, supporting early childhood educators makes financial sense for every Mainer.

Sandra Nadeau

Kennebunk