Maine’s Health and Human Services (HHS) Committee voted Wednesday to recommend that millions in proposed cuts to certain child care programs included in the state’s proposed biennial budget be scrapped.

These cuts, worth more than $36 million in total, were originally proposed as part of an effort to address the massive budget shortfall that Maine is currently facing.

For the upcoming 2026-2027 budget cycle, Maine is looking at a $450 million “structural deficit,” where spending is projected to far outpace revenue unless changes to either side of the equation are made.

The decision to eliminate these proposed cuts came shortly after dozens of child care workers gathered at the State House to protest these proposed cuts.

To allow workers to participate in Tuesday’s protest, a number of child care centers throughout the state were closed or only open for part of the day.

According to a Portland Press Herald report, as many as 200 workers from at least 15 child care centers throughout the state were expected at the State House as of Monday evening.

Concerns primarily centered around the $30 million worth of proposed cuts to the Early Childhood Educator Workforce Salary Supplement System.

This program was first launched in 2021 to provide a monthly stipend to workers in the child care industry. In the beginning, this benefit was valued at $200 per month and was funded using federal pandemic assistance.

The Salary Supplement program continued to be funded into 2022, with benefits remaining at the same level.

In early 2024, however, stipends were increased to between $275 and $625 — depending the caregiver’s education and experience.

Due to high demand on the program, however, lawmakers quickly reduced the benefit amount over the summer to between $240 to $540.

Gov. Janet Mills’ (D) proposed biennial budget recommended reducing funding to 2022 levels in an effort to address the state’s budget shortfalls.

In an interview with the Maine Wire, Charlotte Jacobs — Program Director at Seedlings to Sunflowers — expressed concerns over the potential impacts of these cuts.

“This $30 million cut will force 50 percent of my staff to leave the field,” Jacobs said. “50 percent of my staff leaving the field means that I will have to close my doors.”

“The salaries that we are currently being given have been so helpful, but we’re still all barely making ends meet,” she said. “Rather than cutting, we should be increasing these programs because its proved through the process of these programs that we’ve retained staff, we’ve attracted people to this field, and I just think that continuing these unique benefits to a unique field is crucial.”

“I know that most of our directors and child care staff that are here today feel the exact same way,” said Jacobs. “We’re a field that’s constantly undervalued, underpaid, and not respected to the point we should be.”

"It will force 50% of my staff to leave the field."

The Maine Wire spoke with a child care worker protesting Governor Mills' proposed $30 million in cuts from the Child Care Salary Supplement Program. pic.twitter.com/ZnrwHRLp7n

— The Maine Wire (@TheMaineWire) March 5, 2025

Gov. Mills had also suggested eliminating a more recent $2.5 million program that covers child care tuition for people who work in the industry.

This initiative, launched as a two-year pilot program, was described by the governor as “mostly duplicative” because those enrolled in the program generally already qualified for financial assistance through Maine’s Child Care Affordability Program.

It is further recommended in the budget that Maine reduce its supplemental funding for Head Start, a program that is funded exclusively by federal dollars in most states.

As currently written, the additional $3.6 million in state funding approved by legislators in FY24 would be eliminated, returning funding to the previous level of $1.4 million annually.

Although Maine’s governor is able to put forward a proposed budget and accompanying legislation, it is ultimately up to the State Legislature to finalize and approve a plan.

Lawmakers serving on the HHS Committee ultimately voted 10-3 Wednesday to remove all of these proposed cuts from the biennial budget.

Many Committee members said the stipend reductions were one of the most difficult proposals to consider.

“The additions were put on last year, and it’s been a really successful workforce retention initiative from the numbers that I’ve seen. Our child care professionals, essentially what they are is the workforce behind the workforce,” said Sen. Henry Ingwersen (D-York), Chair of the HHS Committee.

“They’re essential to our economy if it’s going to thrive, we’ve seen that. Yet they remain — even with this program, as it was this year, as it currently is — some of the lowest-paid workers in our state,’ Sen. Ingwersen said.

Rep. Lucien Daigle (R-Fort Kent) noted the impact of the high level of public engagement from Mainers, including child care industry employees and working people throughout the state.

The recommendations to eliminate these cuts will now be sent to the Legislature’s Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee for consideration as they develop a final version of the biennial budget to send to the full Legislature for a vote.

Once the biennial budget goes to the chamber floor, additional amendments may be introduced and adopted before the legislation is finalized.