The Maine Department of Education (DOE), in partnership with the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Office of Child and Family Services, is continuing a monthly Early Learning Solutions Lab Community of Practice (CoP) as part of an ongoing effort to strengthen Maine’s mixed delivery system for early childhood education.
The landscape of early childhood education in Maine is evolving. The expansion of public preschool programs and recent legislation transitioning special education services for children ages three to five from Child Development Services (CDS) to public schools underscore the growing need for a strong, coordinated mixed delivery system. Such a system—one that intentionally integrates public schools and community-based early care and education (ECE) providers—is essential to ensuring all children have equitable access to high-quality early learning opportunities from birth through the early elementary years.
Building and sustaining a robust mixed delivery system requires communities and educational institutions to move beyond siloed approaches and embrace collaborative, inclusive strategies that respond to the diverse needs of children, families, and educators in their communities. As such, early childhood administrators and educators from both public schools and community-based programs are invited to join the Early Learning Solutions Lab CoP, which focuses on strengthening mixed delivery from a community-centered approach. By creating consistent opportunities for collaboration, reflection, and shared learning, this work helps ensure that all children and families have access to coordinated, high-quality early childhood experiences.
Building on the strong engagement and success from earlier sessions, the Early Learning Solutions Lab CoP will meet monthly from May through December 2026. The CoP will be held on the fourth Tuesday of each month from 1:30-2:45 p.m. Those interested in participating may register here.
Each month will focus on a key topic, with opportunities for participants to learn from subject matter experts, explore practical tools, and engage in meaningful discussion. Participation in all CoP sessions is not required but is highly encouraged.
A tentative schedule is as follows:
| Month | Topic | Resources |
| May 26 | The Basics | Infant-Toddler and Preschool Maine Early Learning and Development Standards (MELDS) |
| June 23 | Sustainability Planning | Help Me Grow |
| July 28 | Nature-Based Approaches | Maine Prevention Councils |
| August 25 | K Transition as a Whole-Year Approach | Early Childhood Education Consultation for ME |
| September 22 | Community Partner Panel Discussion | Early Childhood Special Education website |
| October 27 | Whole Family Partnership/Engagement | Ages and Stages Questionnaire |
| *November 17 | Data Sharing and Partnership | Early Intervention health resource |
| *December 15 | Early Learning Solutions Lab Celebrations and Highlights | Maine Roads To Quality/Maine DOE supports |
*scheduled for the third Tuesday of the month, due to a holiday
With questions, please contact Maine DOE Early Learning Team members Michelle Belanger at Michelle.Belanger@maine.gov or Sue Gallant at Sue.Gallant@maine.gov.
Maine DOE Newsroom 