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Chair, parents and nonprofits back funding to sustain "Be There For Me" stigma‑reduction campaign
Summary
Lawmakers heard support for LD 10 60, a bill to sustain the BeThereForMe.org campaign that aims to reduce stigma and connect parents to services; supporters urged modest ongoing promotion and maintenance funding after an initial one‑time $750,000 launch.
Representative Michelle Meyer introduced LD 10 60 seeking ongoing funding to sustain BeThereForMe.org, a stigma‑reduction campaign and website developed with parents to connect Mainers to parenting supports.
"Be There for Me was developed as part of a one‑time $750,000 budget initiative," Meyer told the committee, asking for a modest recurring appropriation to cover ongoing paid promotion and website maintenance. Testimony from parent leaders, child welfare advocates and parent ambassadors described the site as intentionally simple and parent‑informed and said it fills a gap connecting families to resources such as health care, food, child care, housing and behavioral health.
Melissa Hackett of the Maine Children's Alliance and coordinator for the Maine Child Welfare Action Network said the campaign was developed with parents "from the colors and the logo to the words we chose" and has become a platform for outreach and trust building. Parent ambassadors said they had received messages from families who said the campaign made them feel less alone and helped them find services without judgement. "They needed to hear it, they needed to see it, and they needed to feel it," testified Melissa Harding, a parent ambassador.
Representative Mary Anne Moore and other committee members asked about long‑term sustainability; Meyer and witnesses said the requested funding would extend promotion and maintenance for a multiyear period but acknowledged further budget requests could be required in future sessions. Committee members asked staff for more detail on the fiscal note and reach metrics; no vote took place during the hearing.
Supporters urged the committee to consider the campaign as upstream, primary prevention—an investment that could reduce crisis interventions and child welfare involvement by helping families access supports earlier. The public hearing closed with committee members requesting additional fiscal and programmatic detail for the work session.
