Governor Mills has proposed significant cuts to Maine's childcare funding this legislative cycle. In this episode, Kailina interviews MaineAEYC's Co-Executive Director, Heather Marden, to learn more about what cuts have been proposed, what the impact of cuts to childcare would be, and how all of us (educators, families, business owners, and community members) can help prevent these cuts from happening.

This podcast is a production of the Maine Association for the Education of Young Children (MaineAEYC), a registered nonprofit. Learn more about MaineAEYC: https://maineaeyc.org/. This podcast is hosted, recorded, produced, and edited by Dr. Kailina Mills.

March is Developmental Disability Awareness Month, so we are joined in this episode by Samara Cole-Doyon to talk about disability in childhood. She was an early childhood educator and is now a children's book author and the mother to a child with disabilities. She shares about her experience raising a son with a disability and what that means for her family, as well as her ideas on how policymakers and professionals of all kinds could work to better support & include families like hers.

Resources mentioned in the episode:

• Samara's website
• Danny with Words (Danny Whitty: nonspeaking Autistic writer and advocate)
• Fidgets and Fries (Tiffany Hammond: Autistic parent, advocate, and writer)
• Nigh Functioning Autism (Tiffany Modeste: Autistic parent and advocate)
• Autistic, Typing (Jules Edwards: Indigenous, Autistic advocate)
• Hvppy Hands (nonbinary, Autistic parent of Autistic kids)
• For the Love of Gabe (Nicole Gottesmann, her partner, and her nonspeaking, Autistic son)

This podcast is a production of the Maine Association for the Education of Young Children (MaineAEYC), a registered nonprofit. Learn more about MaineAEYC: https://maineaeyc.org/. This podcast is hosted, recorded, produced, and edited by Kailina Mills.

Outdoor Childcare Licensing Webinar hosted by MaineAEYC & the Maine Early Childhood Outdoors Network (MeECO). Panelists--Sessa Salas, Jessica Lewis, and Jess Labbe--share aspects of their licensed outdoor programs and their experience working with licensors.

Resources mentioned in the episode:

• Join the MeECO mailing list.
• NatStart Alliance Resources.
• Childcare Weather Watch Chart.
• Winter Weather Resources compiled by MeECO.

This podcast is a production of the Maine Association for the Education of Young Children (MaineAEYC), a registered nonprofit. Learn more about MaineAEYC: https://maineaeyc.org/. This podcast is hosted, recorded, produced, and edited by Kailina Mills.

**The webinar recording played in this episode was originally recorded on December 7, 2023.

The 2024 legislative session in Maine has begun! We're joined in this episode by Heather Marden, Co-Executive Director of MaineAEYC, to learn about what bills are on the table this session that will affect children, families, teachers, and childcare providers. Learn about our priority bills for the session and how you can get involved to help pass the bills into law!

Resources mentioned in the episode:

• Subscribe to MaineAEYC eNews
• Find your Maine legislature representatives
• Submit written testimony for a bill or sign-up to testify on Zoom
• Contact Heather with questions: [email protected]

This podcast is a production of the Maine Association for the Education of Young Children (MaineAEYC), a registered nonprofit. Learn more about MaineAEYC: https://maineaeyc.org/. This podcast is hosted, recorded, produced, and edited by Kailina Mills.

The Salary Supplement Program for childcare teachers in Maine has recently changed. We're joined in this episode by Diane Nicholson and Crystal Arbour from the Office of Child & Family Services so that they can explain some of the recent changes to the program and where to go if you have questions.

Resources mentioned in the episode:

• OCFS FAQ sheet for Salary Supplement Program
• MaineAEYC Resource Hub
• Contact Diane Nicholson: [email protected].

This podcast is a production of the Maine Association for the Education of Young Children (MaineAEYC), a registered nonprofit. Learn more about MaineAEYC: https://maineaeyc.org/. This podcast is hosted, recorded, produced, and edited by Kailina Mills.

Did you know that December is "Learn a Foreign Language" Month? To recognize it, we're discussing bilingual education in early childhood in this episode. We're joined by Thania Hernandez, owner and operator of Mis Primeros Pasos childcare in Ellsworth, and her Infant/Toddler teacher, Cindy Tosca.

Resources mentioned in the episode:

• Mis Primeros Pasos - My First Steps website
• Recording of "Ata Makata" (Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes in Japanese)
• Market Rate Survey tools and resources
• Email us to share history of MaineAEYC for 20th anniversary: [email protected]

This podcast is a production of the Maine Association for the Education of Young Children (MaineAEYC), a registered nonprofit. Learn more about MaineAEYC: https://maineaeyc.org/. This podcast is hosted, recorded, produced, and edited by Kailina Mills.

We're talking today to Anne Adams, Coordinator for the Maine Early Childhood Outdoors Network (MeECO). She shares resources available for teachers and administrators to start and expand their outdoor teaching journey, as well as suggestions for bringing children outside if they've never done it before.

• To learn more about MeECO or get involved, go to: maineaeyc.org/meeco
• To donate to our Giving Tuesday campaign, go ti: maineaeyc.org/donate
• To find resources and tutorials for the Market Rate Survey, go to: https://maineaeyc.org/state-advocacy

This podcast is a production of the Maine Association for the Education of Young Children (MaineAEYC), a registered nonprofit. Learn more about MaineAEYC: https://maineaeyc.org/. This podcast is hosted, recorded, produced, and edited by Kailina Mills.

1. Resource list for families, educators, and caregivers on how to talk to children about violence: https://maineaeyc.org/ece-professionals
2. "Under Deadman's Skin: Discovering the Meaning of Children's Violent Play" by Jane Katch
3. #LoveLewiston Day information: https://maineaeyc.org/events -OR- https://treestreetyouth.org/love-lewiston/
4. Federal Advocacy for $16 billion in ECE support funds: https://maineaeyc.org/federal-advocacy