FORT FAIRFIELD, Maine — Since the start of the COVID pandemic Jordyn Rossignol, owner of Miss Jordyn’s Child Care and Preschool in Caribou, has seen 23 teachers quit their jobs.
“The scary part is that a lot of them leave the field [of early childhood education] completely,” Rossignol said.
Rossignol was one of several people who spoke out during a public meeting held at Fort Fairfield High School’s gymnasium Tuesday evening.
Around 30 people, including educators, town officials, child care experts and parents, discussed an issue that they fear will negatively affect Aroostook’s post-COVID-19 economic recovery: the lack of affordable child care for families and the shortage of qualified educators.
Since child care workers only earn around $12 per hour and often become burned out due to work responsibilities, many leave for jobs that pay benefits and higher wages.
“It’s exhausting work. Unless you really love it, you’re going to get tired,” Rossignol said. “And why do it when you could earn $17 per hour working at Subway?”
Though Rossignol’s business lost $30,000 last year, she has opted not to raise tuition rates on families who she knows are already struggling financially. Rossignol and her staff serve children from Caribou and surrounding communities such as Limestone and Fort Fairfield, the latter of which has no local child care providers.
To combat the issues facing providers and families, Rossignol said that business leaders, school officials and parents need to advocate for “progressive” changes in how child care services are operated and funded.
Tim Doak, superintendent of SAD 20 in Fort Fairfield and RSU 39 in Caribou, said that after speaking with state legislators and agencies and visiting Rossignol’s classrooms, he has become convinced that “wrap-around services” might be the solution.
With wrap-around services, day care workers would be considered school employees and have access to related benefits and professional development training. Doak suggested that a daycare program be located on the Fort Fairfield Elementary School campus or a nearby location such as the town’s Main Street.
The location would provide convenience for working parents while also giving children access to educational technology, early literacy curriculum and behavioral health services prior to entering elementary school.
But a key component to establishing that type of child care center is state funding, which the child care industry currently lacks. With child care costs high, parents are forced to make tough choices on who goes to work and who stays home with children, which means less employees for area businesses.
“Child care is an economic necessity for Fort Fairfield. Parents deserve to drop off their kids with the peace of mind that they’re being cared for. That’s how they can be productive employees,” Doak said.
Doak spoke in favor of putting together a group of educators, parents and state legislators who could speak in Augusta on behalf of potential state funding.
State representative David McCrea, a Democrat who serves District 148, expressed willingness to advocate for potential state funding or federal funds that could be distributed to local communities in Maine.
“This is about helping kids mature in a healthy way before they enter school,” said McCrea, a former SAD 20 teacher. “If Fort Fairfield turns out to be a leader in this, all the better.”
During Tuesday’s meeting, Dianna Leighton, mother of a 2nd grader at Fort Fairfield Elementary, became the only parent to voice concerns. She suggested that a future community group consider the issue of transportation as a major barrier to child care.
“It comes down to coordination for the parents. If someone lives in Fort Fairfield but works in Presque Isle, Caribou, Limestone or even Houlton, they have to worry about when to pick up their child,” Leighton said. “I would put transportation on the list [of daycare services].”
Leighton also suggested that SAD 20 put together a short survey to gather data from parents on their specific child care needs and barriers, an idea that Doak supported.
“I think a survey is a good step forward,” Doak said. “We need data so we can know exactly what percentage of families don’t have child care.”
