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LD 202

An Act To Increase The Number Of Children A Family Child Care Provider May Care For Without Having To Be Licensed By The Department Of Health And Human Services

132nd Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Joe Baldacci and 6 co-sponsors

Increases the number of children a family home child care provider may care for without DHHS licensure, reducing regulatory burden on small providers.

Signed by Governor
#childcare #childrenandfamilies #regulation
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Bill Summary · LD 202

Summary — LD 202

An Act To Increase The Number Of Children A Family Child Care Provider May Care For Without Having To Be Licensed By The Department Of Health And Human Services

Purpose

LD 202 raises the statutory threshold for how many children a family child care provider may care for without being required to obtain a license from the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). The stated intent is to reduce regulatory burden on small, in-home child care providers by increasing the number of children who may be cared for under an unlicensed exemption.

Key provisions

  • Amends Maine law to increase the maximum number of children a family (home-based) child care provider may care for without DHHS licensure.
  • The bill was amended in committee (Committee Amendment “A” / S-101) prior to final passage; the engrossed version as amended was enacted.
  • No detailed licensing fee or operational changes are described in the provided documents beyond altering the licensure threshold.

Note: The legislative documents provided do not include the specific numeric threshold (the exact number of children added to the exemption). That numeric detail is contained in the bill text but was not included in the provided excerpts.

Fiscal impact

  • Multiple fiscal notes (preliminary and updated) conclude the bill would produce:
    • Minor savings to the General Fund (reduced DHHS licensing costs).
    • Minor decrease in General Fund revenue (fewer licensing fee collections).
  • Fiscal notes were approved on 02/07/25, 04/11/25 and 05/22/25 and consistently report only minor net fiscal effects.

Who is affected

  • Family child care providers: fewer small, in‑home providers would need to obtain DHHS licensure, reducing compliance costs and administrative burden for some providers.
  • Department of Health and Human Services: may licensing workload and fee revenue would decrease modestly.
  • Families and children: oversight and regulatory protections for some small, unlicensed providers would change; potential effects on quality and safety oversight depend on the size of the exemption and any accompanying standards (not specified in provided documents).

Legislative timeline & status

  • Introduced: January 14, 2025 (sponsored by Sen. Moore of Washington; referred to Health & Human Services Committee).
  • Committee action: Work sessions, reported out with Committee Amendment “A” (OTP-AM).
  • Passed both chambers and enrolled: May 22–27, 2025.
  • Signed by Governor: May 29, 2025 — enacted.

Notes / Outstanding details

  • The specific new numeric threshold (how many children the exemption now permits) and any transitional or grandfathering provisions are not included in the supplied documents. For exact operative language and effective date, consult the enacted bill text and the Secretary of State’s effective date guidance.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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