Maine Business Leaders Create Early Learning Investment Group

Professional Development, Financing, Quality Improvement, Financing, Public Engagement & Political Will Building, Professional Development

Active

Business leaders in Maine are on a mission to improve the quality of early care and education and increase access for all Maine families. The Maine Early Learning Investment Group (MELIG), which was created in January 2012, has pledged to help raise millions of dollars in private funds to achieve this aim. The group views investment in early childhood through an economic lens. The long-term goals are to improve the quality of Maine’s workforce and decrease the costs of doing business in the state – by lessening future health care, welfare, and other social costs. As part of its fundraising campaign, MELIG will focus on raising public awareness of the connection between investment in early childhood and economic prosperity.

Though a final plan has not yet been developed, the money raised will likely be directed toward scholarships for young children of low-income families and professional development for early childhood staff. MELIG has stated it will look to state agencies and nonprofits to help determine where its efforts can have the most impact. The Maine Community Foundation and Maine Development Foundation will receive, hold, invest, and administer the funds MELIG collects.

MELIG is firmly committed to supporting programs and initiatives that have a measureable return on investment and can be replicated across the state. However, the group recognizes that the full returns to investment in early childhood can often take decades to realize. For that reason, its members are committed to taking the long view, focusing on where they want the state to be in 15 to 25 years.

The members of MELIG represent a diverse cross-section of businesses in Maine. They were assembled by Steve Rowe, the state’s former state attorney general, and are being led by Jim Clair, CEO of Goold Health Systems. The group is currently developing a business plan for moving forward and expects to begin fundraising by summer of 2012.

Updated July 2012