Program areas at Maine Children's Alliance
Early care & education projects- mca works to ensure that Maine's early childhood system is structured with policies and practices that best serve Maine's vulnerable infants and toddlers and young children. Policy priorities focused on improving access to high-quality care and education, improving wages and supports for early care providers, and improving Maine's child development services system for early intervention and early special education services. During 2022, mca was engaged in building coalitions of parent advocates for head start and early intervention. Mca is a leader of the right from the start coalition.
Child health and safety projects: mca worked to advance effective and equitable health policy solutions for children and families, including Children's health insurance program, child welfare reforms, maternal health, and youth mental health. In 2022, mca took on leadership of the child welfare action network, which produced a framework of policy recommendations. Mca is active in the health care for me coalition.
Kids count - Maine kids count is part of the national kids count network, funded by the annie e. casey foundation to track the status of children across the united states. In 2022, mca updated kids count indicators, started work on the 2023 Maine data book, and updated 16 county profiles about child well-being. Mca produced additional materials for legislators and the general public about key issues related to child and family well-being.
General advocacy & legislative support - mca provides data and policy analysis to state policymakers on issues affecting children, such as: health (physical, oral, mental), the Children's health insurance program, head start, home visitation, childcare, hunger, family economic security, and child safety. Mca provides communications on issues through blogs, newsletters, and action alerts.