Free Family Financial Wellness Program to Support Families and Caregivers in Building Financial Skills

AUGUSTA –The second half of the school year is underway in Maine and the Finance Authority of Maine (FAME), in partnership with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, is supporting more students than ever before throughInvest in ME Reads, a family financial wellness program designed to support parents and caregivers in teaching their kids about money and building early financial skills for life.

Through Invest in ME Reads, Maine public school students in grades two through five receive a collection of educational resources, including free books that include themes of saving, giving, and delayed gratification. Parents and caregivers also have an opportunity to use the materials at home, including conversation starters, tips from experts, information to support college savings, and InvestinMeReads.com, an educational webpage full of fun activities and resources for children and adults.

“You don’t have to be a financial expert to teach your child about money, but we recognize that it is sometimes difficult to know where to begin. We want to support parents and caregivers by providing free resources and activities to begin the conversation,” said Mary Dyer, Financial Education Programs Manager at FAME. Dyer recently was featured on the WGME podcast, Raising ME, where she provided practical tips and advice for starting the money conversation at home. 

Invest in ME Reads helps to support Maine’s statewide goal to produce an educated and skilled workforce. For many Mainers, a lack of financial capability can be a significant barrier to pursuing education and training after high school, which in turn can have an impact on an individual’s ability to seek employment and, ultimately, the strength of Maine’s economy.

Families are also encouraged to share feedback about the program and how it has helped their family at InvestinMeReads.com\survey. 

For more information about how FAME can support your family’s financial goals, please visit the Invest in ME Reads website.