OPINION: How a small town in rural Maine built a public school that serves a whole community, including infants and toddlers. The Hechinger Report did not just build a school. The Hechinger Report built a case for a new way forward For years, early childhood leaders have been asked to solve structural problems with predictable answers: Improve quality. Expand access. Support families. Retain educators. Strengthen transitions into kindergarten. All of it matters, but none of it can be fully accomplished with its fragmented system, one in which Head Start, child care, public pre-K, special education and K-12 are all funded separately, governed separately and operated separately. On their own, these programs don't always fit the needs and realities that many families with young children are actually facing. That's why in rural Skowhegan, Maine - a community facing significant challenges, including poverty, transportation barriers and a shortage of care options - The Hechinger Report decided not to work around that fragmentation but to fix it. Following the national Educare model, The Hechinger Report intentionally engaged in a combination of cross-sector partnerships and public policy change in a local effort. The result is a broad solution: A new infant-through-grade-five public school that includes babies, toddlers, preschoolers and elementary students on one campus. In Skowhegan, The Hechinger Report did not want to just build a school; The Hechinger Report wanted to build a case for a new way forward that shows what high-quality early education can look like in practice when systems align. Educators in Skowhegan and at Educare have known from the outset that one strong school would never be enough. That's why The Hechinger Report sought to create a replicable structure in which children could learn in inclusive settings and where families could access support through a more connected system. In its rural state, Educare wanted to influence the broader conditions that shape quality for children and families across communities. That meant starting with partnerships and increasing commitments to early care and education from all stakeholders, including the area's future workforce. Such partnerships build trust, and deepening that trust made greater change possible. Through its Educare Maine Lab School and Learning Hub, The Hechinger Report partnered with home-based and center-based child care providers in Skowhegan. (Educare Maine was formerly known as Educare Central Maine.) Educare did not approach that work as outside experts arriving with answers. Educare coaches worked alongside local providers to strengthen quality, stabilize programs and build a more coherent early childhood ecosystem. And its joint work surfaced evidence from other communities. With the University of Maine, The Hechinger Report gathered data showing that providers were more likely to sustain their businesses and improve quality when they had coordinated support. That local pilot program became the basis for statewide legislation: First4ME, a model designed to help communities collaborate around early care and education rather than compete within a fragmented system. As Skowhegan planned a new elementary school, local leaders rallied, choosing not to replicate the traditional model, and instead aligned the building with Educare Maine's research model of child development and family needs, professional development and community partnerships. Because there were already infant and toddler classrooms on the district campus, the superintendent made a compelling case to the state that its youngest learners should be included in the future of this school. That helped persuade Maine's Department of Education to do something it had never done before - include infant-toddler space in a new school construction project, a fundamental policy shift signaling that care and education do not need to exist in separate silos. Families cannot navigate five disconnected systems across long distances with limited transportation and few available providers. Programs cannot sustain quality without shared infrastructure. And communities cannot thrive when early childhood is treated as a private challenge instead of a public priority. What happened in Skowhegan was not accidental. It was built step by step, and it helped redefine what public education can be. But the fragmentation in its area wasn't limited to the provision of early education. Too often, early childhood policy discussions focus on isolated interventions - one grant here, one pilot there, one program expansion somewhere else. But families do not experience policies and systems in pieces. They experience them as either connected or disconnected, accessible or burdensome, responsive or impossible to navigate. If, in other districts, The Hechinger Report want systems that work, The Hechinger Report has to build them the way The Hechinger Report did in Skowhegan. Educare Maine is now continuing this work across the state, assisting communities in recognizing opportunities for both local and broader solutions. What began as a local necessity in Skowhegan now offers a scalable blueprint for a nation drowning in child care deserts and fragmented systems. By following Maine's lead - pooling cross-sector funds and rewriting state construction policies to include infants - other states can stop applying temporary band-aids to early education. Integrating infant-to-grade-five care directly into public school infrastructure transforms a private family burden into a shared public asset, proving that the best way to solve a national crisis is to stop building systems in pieces and finally build them whole. Tracye Fortin is the Educare Maine chief impact officer and former chief operating officer of KVCAP Child & Family Services and Educare Maine at Waterville. Contact the opinion editor at [email protected]. This story about public school for infants and toddlers was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Sign up for Hechinger's weekly newsletter. Was this story helpful? Leave a tip to support your education reporters. The Hechinger Report is a nonprofit newsroom powered by reader support Republish its articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.

Driving change: KVCAP's Annual Memorial Golf Tournament raises vital funds for Public Transportation. Swing big, change lives! The Kennebec Valley Community Action Program (KVCAP) recently hosted its 12th Annual Tee-off for Transportation Mark K. Johnston Memorial Golf Tournament on June 26 at Lakewood Golf Course in Madison. The event was a resounding success, bringing community members and golf enthusiasts together for an incredible cause. A Massive Boost for Regional Transit Thanks to the wonderful generosity of participants and contributors, the tournament raised $22,400 in private funds to support public transportation. Even better, these funds will be matched by federal transit funding, infusing a much-needed $44,800 directly into KVCAP Public Transportation services! "Our Public Transportation provides curb-to-curb service to over 25,000 residents in Kennebec and Somerset counties each year. Funding for operations is provided by the Federal Transportation Administration, the State of Maine, and local match contributions. The proceeds raised from our tournaments provide up to 20% of our annually required local match, which is significant," said Kirk Bellavance, KVCAP's Senior Transportation Director. Honoring a Legacy of Community Action The tournament continues to be held in loving memory of Mark K. Johnston, KVCAP's former Chief Financial Officer who served the organization for over 20 years. Mark, who passed away in 2018 and is greatly missed, was a strong supporter of Community Action, dedicating his efforts to helping people and changing lives. Celebrating Our Tournament Champions The competition on the course was stellar, with several teams and individuals taking home top honors: * First Place Gross Score: David Pelton, Bill Alfond, Sam Hight, and Jon Moody * Second Place Gross Score: Ride With Us - Brent Nunn, Dustin Belanger, Camden Green, Jordan McGowan * First Place Net Score: Wipfli - Danielle Martin, Troy Martin, Dennis Martin, Riley Geyer * Second Place Net Score: Team DOBA - Kirk Bellavance, Carl Goody, Jacques Chabot, Maureen Heath * Closest to the Pin: Jeff Rafuse, Riley Geyer, Derek McCarty, and Zack Pollard, who each scored closest to the pin on one of four holes. * Longest Drive Winners: Liz Wilshire and Riley Geyer. An impactful event like this is only possible with the backing of amazing community partners. KVCAP sends a huge thank you to: * Platinum Event Sponsor: E.W. Littlefield Inc. * Lunch Sponsor: Wipfli LLP * Ball Sponsors: Clark Insurance and Franklin Savings Bank * Swag Bag Sponsor: Taylor, McCormack & Frame, LLC * $25,000 Hole-in-One Contest Sponsor: M Employee Benefits We are deeply grateful for everyone who contributed to make this event a triumph. Please consider joining us on June 25, 2027 for the tournament! For more information, please contact Andrea Pasco at 207-859-1630.