Blog | June 18, 2019

CEO Jim Clair and Retired CEO Chris Emmons Submit Testimony in Support of Child Care Facilities Bond

ReadyNation members support proposal for new and improved child care facilities in Maine

ReadyNation Maine members Jim Clair, CEO of the Clair Group of Companies, and Chris Emmons, recently retired CEO of Gorham Savings Bank, submitted testimony on June 17, 2019, in support of Governor Mill’s bond proposal, LD 1836. The official title of the legislation is, “An Act To Authorize A General Fund Bond Issue for Infrastructure, Economic Development, Workforce Development, and Energy and Environment Investment” and includes proposed funding for new and improved child care facilities. The new proposal would allocate $5 million for child care facilities, allowing for the development of new child care centers and the improvement of existing child care programs’ quality standards and facilities.

ReadyNation member Chris Emmons, CEO of Gorham Savings Bank at an early care and education press conference in Skowhegan, Maine.

This testimony marked the ninth such engagement by ReadyNation members, along with 15 engagements by Fight Crime: Invest In Kids Maine members and eight by Mission: Readiness Maine members during this legislative session: a new organization record. LD 1836 also marks a record as the first bond to support early childhood education and care in Maine.

Pictured at right, ReadyNation member Chris Emmons, recently retired CEO of Gorham Savings Bank, speaks about how high-quality early learning can help improve Maine’s workforce and future economy.

With a large number (73%) of Maine’s children under age 6 living in households in which all parents work, child care is crucial to both the parents and the children.

It is critical to recognize that high-quality environments lead to better outcomes for Maine’s young children.

Testimony by ReadyNation members Jim Clair and Chris Emmons in support of LD 1836, “An Act to Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue for Infrastructure, Economic Development, Workforce Development and Energy and Environment Investment”

Without quality child care, too many children are exposed to environments and circumstances that can prevent the development of healthy behaviors, independence, and positive social-emotional skills, thereby interrupting the formation of the brain’s wiring that supports future learning. Currently, 40% of children in Maine do not meet school readiness benchmarks, but research shows that those who do receive quality early childhood education meet or exceed these benchmarks. For these reasons, investment in child care is essential for Maine and should be supported through the passage of LD 1836.

Read More About

  1. Child Care

States

  1. Maine*