Public preschool is a fundamental and important building block in early learning. Yet, in Maine only about 50 percent of 4-year-olds are in public Pre-K, and current Maine law only requires Pre-K to be for 10 hours a week. The scheduling of Pre-K programs can be a challenge for the 73% of preschoolers who have working parents. In 2023, the Maine Legislature passed a law to establish an equitable, mixed-delivery public preschool system and created a Commission to report back to the legislature recommendations to achieve this goal. In this session, policymakers will share the work of the Commission, discuss the recommendations for implementation, and share more about how we can work together to reach this goal.
