In the News 
In today’s Portland Press Herald, John T. Gorman Foundation Senior Program Associate Leigh Arsenault and consultant Kate Reilly make the case for why the widespread lack of access to transportation in Maine holds back families and our economy — and what we can do about it. “Like housing and child care, lack of transportation access … Read more
Access to reliable transportation is vital in connecting families to work, childcare, education, and other services they need to thrive – especially in a rural state like Maine. Yet an estimated 40,000 households across the state do not have a personal vehicle and public transit meets only 11% of the total rides needed.
The John T. Gorman Foundation has hired Jessica Drescher, PhD, as its Senior Research Associate. In this role, Jessica leads the Foundation’s efforts to evaluate the impact of its initiatives, using research and data to improve programs and outcomes for children and families in Maine. Informed by her own experiences growing up in Penobscot County, … Read more
McAuley Residence offers comprehensive supports to women in substance use recovery as well as their children, setting up families for lasting success after completing the program.
Winter 2025 Newsletter focuses on supports for young children and their families.
Our latest Data Snapshot examines how these early childhood supports have reached Maine families in recent years. While there are encouraging signs among the trends, many areas still need improvement.
John T. Gorman Fellow Jessica Berry has joined other leaders to create the Midcoast Community Collaborative, which is now implementing a new initiative to deliver strengthen community-wide supports for young children and their families.
In Lewiston-Auburn, Community Health Workers are leveraging their lived experiences in a promising initiative to improve outcomes for immigrant families with young children.
In this interview, we talk to Maine Child Safety and Family Well-Being Plan coauthor Melissa Hackett, a John T. Gorman Fellow and prevention advocate who helped lead the report’s vision of “keeping children safe by keeping families strong.”
The 2025 Direct Services Grant Program application period will open on Monday, February 24, and close Monday, March 24.
