Latest news with #HollyEaton
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Maine lawmaker injured in car crash on way to Augusta
Jun. 9—A Maine lawmaker on her way to Augusta was injured in a car crash last week that left her hospitalized. And a complication after surgery left her in intensive care, according to a fundraising appeal. Rep. Holly Eaton, D-Deer Isle, was driving on Caterpillar Hill Road in Sedgwick on the morning of June 2 when she failed to stop and collided with an SUV that was stopped in front of her waiting for another vehicle to turn left, according to a crash report from the Hancock County Sheriff's Department. Eaton said in a Facebook post the next day that she had a burst fracture in one of her vertebra and was in a lot of pain but had settled into a room at a Bangor hospital. She had been on her way to Augusta when the crash occurred and had tried to avoid hitting the other vehicle, the post said. A lieutenant for the sheriff's department said Monday that no charges have been filed and no other injuries were reported in the crash. "Thank you to everyone who has reached out with texts, calls, emails — and thank you especially for the balloons and flowers," Eaton said in her post. A GoFundMe page that has been set up to raise money for Eaton's recovery said she had spinal surgery Wednesday that went well. But on Friday she collapsed from a pulmonary embolism while in physical therapy and had to be transferred by LifeFlight helicopter to Maine Medical Center in Portland. "She is currently still in the ICU and will be for at least a few more days," says the page, which was started over the weekend. As of Monday, it had raised more than $14,800. Eaton represents House District 15, which contains several communities in Hancock County, and is in her second term in the House of Representatives. She serves on the marine resources and transportation committees. A voicemail message and email left for Eaton Monday seeking an update on her condition were not returned. A spokesperson for House Democrats said he was unable to provide any update, citing Eaton's privacy. Copy the Story Link We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others. We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion. You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is also found on our FAQs. Show less
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lawmakers hear proposals to better support families and child care providers
(Photo by Rebecca Rivas/Missouri Independent) Maine families are wrestling with a dire lack of child care options, particularly in more rural parts of the state. Rep. Holly Eaton (D-Deer Isle) has proposed a pilot project that would offer tuition grants for rural Mainers interested in getting into child care or an early childhood profession to complete their education, and additional funds to open their own facility. That proposal, LD 1280, was one of the five bills aimed at better serving Maine children and families discussed before the Legislature's Health and Human Services Committee on Friday. The two-part pilot project would require a one time appropriation of $600,000 and would target individuals who are not eligible for the state's free community college program. Eaton said operating the programs as a pilot would give the state a chance to collect data and explore scalable solutions to address the child care shortage that affects the entire state but is particularly acute in rural Maine. According to the Maine Center for Economic Policy, an estimated 18,000 people in Maine are currently out of the labor force due to a lack of child care. Part of the challenge is that providers are struggling to stay afloat as they are often caught between wanting to keep costs down for families while paying their staff sufficient wages. One proposal meant to support child care centers came from Sen. Joe Baldacci (D-Penobscot). LD 1191 seeks to ensure that child care providers who accept children in the state's foster care system receive timely reimbursement from the Department of Health and Human Services. His bill would require the department to pay invoices from a child care provider within 15 days of receipt, as well as offer guidance to providers to ensure they are filing invoices correctly to receive prompt payment. There are also annual reporting requirements about the timeliness of these payments. This bill comes after recent reports of untimely payments, though Bobbi Johnson, director of the Office of Child and Family Services, said the vast majority of disbursements are being made on time. She spoke with the Health and Human Services Committee just last month about this issue and the reasons her agency has identified behind such delays. Currently, there is an average of five days between the time invoices are entered into the agency's system and they are paid, Johnson said Friday. She added that 99% of all payments are already being paid within that 15-day window outlined in the bill. Betsey Grant, who owns Tiny Tikes Daycare in Trenton and has served nearly 60 foster children in the past few years, said timely reimbursement is important, but argued it's even more important for providers to be paid in advance, which is common practice for families not involved in the child welfare system. The committee also heard testimony on two bills that would bolster support for parents and help prevent child abuse. Meyer sponsored LD 1060, which would provide $100,000 in one time funding for the Be There for ME campaign, which launched last year to help reduce the stigma associated with parents asking for help. The campaign also includes a website that provides resources in a dozen different languages for housing or behavioral health services, as well as offers peer support from other parents in Maine. She also introduced LD 1061, which would provide $1.5 million in ongoing annual funding for the statewide network of abuse prevention councils under the Maine Children's Trust. The councils work in all 16 of Maine's counties building community resources and offering important training for parents but, according to Executive Director Heidi Aakjer, funding for the trust hasn't increased in more than 15 years. While no one testified against either bill, multiple parents and individuals involved with the abuse prevention councils spoke in support, describing them as valuable resources for families in Maine. They told the committee that investing in the prevention of abuse could not only strengthen and preserve families, but prevent the higher costs of a child entering state custody. A final bill discussed before the committee Friday was LD 1108, introduced by Rep. Abigail Griffin (R-Levant) to strengthen the reunification process for children in state custody in cases where the parents struggle with substance use disorder. The legislation would implement random drug screening for those parents, as well as ensure that certain reunification meetings are scheduled at times that work for the parents. However, Johnson said these are already standard practices for the child welfare agency when substance use is a factor in removing the child. The proposal would also prohibit the state from petitioning a court to return custody to the parent sooner than six months after the child was removed from the home. Johnson raised constitutional concerns with this, explaining that there is an established judicial process and cautioned that each case comes with unique circumstances. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
