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PublishedApril 23, 2024
Proposal for separate child welfare department dies after Maine House fails to take action
The measure passed the Senate in a bipartisan 22-8 vote but was never taken up in the House. 'We could have at least had the conversation,' said the bill's sponsor.
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PublishedApril 3, 2024
Frustrated lawmakers back proposal to create a separate child welfare department
A proposal for a new Department of Child and Family Services wins strong support in the Maine Senate amid efforts to reform the state's troubled child welfare system, but the Mills administration wants the idea studied first.
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PublishedMarch 2, 2024
Bangor 10-year-old suffered months of abuse before his death, police say
Braxtyn Smith was zip tied, injured and denied food, court records state. His mother, father and grandmother are charged with depraved indifference murder in the Feb. 18 killing.
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PublishedFebruary 23, 2024
Maine fails to meet federal standards when returning at-risk children to their families, watchdog report says
OPEGA's report highlights another symptom of a child welfare system that suffers from high vacancies, heavy caseloads and a lack of community services for families struggling with mental health and substance use issues.
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PublishedJanuary 26, 2024
New child welfare chief aims to prioritize input from caseworkers, front-line workers
Bobbi Johnson, who took over the beleaguered system this month, answered questions from lawmakers on the Government Oversight Committee on Friday.
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PublishedDecember 12, 2023
Maine nonprofit says child caseworkers need more support, parents need to be held accountable
The group, called Walk a Mile in Their Shoes, wants the state to stop prioritizing family reunification when parents are not following plans to keep their children safe from neglect or abuse.
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PublishedDecember 6, 2023
State agency, legislative committee clash in supreme court hearing over records
Lawmakers on the Government Oversight Committee are appealing a lower court's decision that barred them from access to confidential child protective records.
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PublishedNovember 8, 2023
Maine’s child protection staff: ‘We work within a broken system’
Lawmakers reviewing the state's child protective agency hear testimony from front-line workers for the first time Wednesday, and their message is sobering.
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PublishedAugust 16, 2023
Frustrated mother says state failed to protect her baby
Reginald Melvin, 30, was sentenced to 25 years in prison on Wednesday. A state watchdog will now review how Child Protective Services dealt with Melvin before his son died in 2021.
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PublishedMay 31, 2023
How and when to remove children from their homes? A federal lawsuit raises thorny questions
A couple whose young children were taken by social workers and police in the middle of the night are suing, arguing they were unconstitutionally removed without a warrant or court order.
Child welfare
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