CDS action alert (minority report)

[maine.disability]

Please see action alert below about CDS from Autism Society of Maine, Maine Association for Community Service Providers, Maine Children's Alliance, Maine Development Disabilities Council, and Maine Parent Federation. Please also feel free to forward

Action Alert

Ask your legislators to vote no on LR 2686 the Early Childhood Education (CDS) majority report (No LD # yet awaiting printing of the bill) and pass the minority report sponsored by Rep. Rebecca Millett.

What would the Education Committee CDS Majority report do?

The majority report would require that special education services for children with disabilities from age 3 to 6 be moved from the Child Development Services (CDS) to Maine’s local school districts, starting July, 1st 2024.

Is there a need for legislation to change the Early Childhood Education Services in Maine?

Yes. Maine is the only state in the nation that provides early intervention services through a semi-quasi state agency, CDS, instead of local schools. The CDS system has been underfunded for many years. The result is that Maine is out of compliance with federal law; 400 Maine children ages 3 to 6 who qualify are not receiving early education services. The Department of Education and the Legislature have attempted for at least five years to fix this problem by trying to create a plan to transition services from CDS to school districts.

Doesn’t the bill fix the problem?

No. While advocates for children with special needs agree that the early education services should eventually be provided by school districts, they are concerned about the lack of details around funding, school readiness, workforce availability, oversight and the majority report will actually do more harm.

What’s missing from LR 2686 (CDS Majority report)?

Disturbingly, the CDS majority report fails to provide these details:

• No long-term funding mechanism – the continuation of services is at risk if MDOE defaults on funding,
• No plan to determine if a local school district will be ready to take on services and what will happen if they are not ready,
• No plan for helping the CDS workforce transition to school districts,
• No transition task force to provide oversight of the process that to include stakeholders (e.g., parents, providers, school educators, and local advocacy.

What should legislators do?

First, they should reject the current LR 2686 language (CDS Majority report) and pass the Minority report, sponsored by Rep. Rebecca Millett. The Amendment creates a formal Transition Task Force charged with developing a detailed plan prior to the transition of 3- to 6-year-olds to school district. The plan would address ALL the omissions in LR 2686. Throughout the entire process the Transition Task Force will oversee the implementation of the plan and report back to the Educational Committee on progress. We urge legislators to reject this flawed bill LR 2686 CDS Majority Report- and approve the CDS Minority Report. Maine’s children and communities deserve better than the proposal you’re being asked to vote for.

Find your Senator and Representative

Autism Society of ME, ME Association for Community Service Providers, ME Children’s Alliance, ME Developmental Disability Council, Maine Parent Federation