The proposed stripping out of $30 million from the biennial state budget for Maine child care workers’ stipends is a move that is going to sting — and then fester.

The term “ripple effect” hardly cuts it for a move like this, which will squeeze already-squeezed child care providers, squeeze already-squeezed families and drive child care workers and educators from their positions in search of work that covers their costs. Without child care, we are without workers of all stripes. Without workers, well …

The Mills administration has blamed a “tough budget cycle” for the proposed cut. A spokesperson for Gov. Mills recently said that the decision was also made with the long-term sustainability of the stipend program in mind.

But there’s a very immediate challenge caused by this, one that could easily and quickly tip into a crisis. The mere possibility of this cut indicates that the business of taking care of young children is not being given the priority it deserves. According to the Maine Center for Economic Policy, the move to cut the stipend back to 2022 levels will “reduce the average earnings for nearly 7,500 child care workers by $4,000 over two years.”

In addition, the Mills administration has proposed the ending of a $5 million scholarship program that helps child care workers pay for care for their own children (the Child Care Employment Award), something roughly 400 Maine children are reportedly seeking eligibility for. The nexus between work and child care could hardly be laid more bare.

The reason state-level investment in child care in recent years has soared to historic heights is that need and demand have soared to those same heights. Pulling back now, while the market is in the same dismal condition, will leave jobs, families and businesses in the cold. The better course of action would be to sustain the support; to give the support a chance to work.

Any savings banked from these cuts are going to be very costly to our state’s economy. They have the potential to cause lasting damage to a critical industry; they need to be solemnly reconsidered by the Mills administration as a result. In the meantime, any legislation that might assist this chronically struggling sector of our economy deserves to be strongly supported.