A state official credits the decline in part to a renewed focus on preventing abuse and neglect.
child welfare
Posted inMaine, News
Committee recommends Maine create new agency to oversee child services
The Office of the Child Advocate would replace the current ombudsman program.
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Posted inMaine, Maine Crime, News
Bangor mom pleads guilty to manslaughter in 10-year-old son’s death
Braxtyn Smith died in 2024 after what authorities described as months of violent abuse at the hands of his parents and grandmother, all of whom were charged with depraved indifference murder.
Posted inMaine, News
Number of Maine children in state custody hits 4-year low after rising for years
The total of kids removed because of suspected abuse or neglect has fallen steadily after reaching its highest level in 20 years last summer. State officials say the trend is evidence that its embattled child welfare system is turning a corner.
Posted inOp-Eds, Opinion
A better model for child welfare in Maine | Opinion
We need to commit to a type of child welfare that empowers and uplifts families.
Posted inMaine, News
Slayings in Chelsea raise questions about Maine’s juvenile mental health system
A teenager was charged with killing his foster father and cousin, but little is known about the child’s time in state care.
Posted inMaine
Maine’s foster care population grew at the fastest rate in the nation, federal data shows
The state’s director of child and family services cited the agency’s response to high profile deaths as well as a lack of attorneys to represent parents and declining support services as reasons for the increase.
Posted inMaine
Public attorneys could soon represent Maine parents in child protection cases
The new Parents Counsel Division launches as Maine’s child protective system is in crisis.
Posted inMaine, News
Maine’s child welfare system still faces ‘enormous pressure,’ watchdog says
Child welfare ombudsman Christine Alberi concluded her 2024 annual report to lawmakers by saying that more improvement is needed in investigating abuse or neglect claims and in reunifying children with families.
Posted inMaine, News
Top Maine Republicans renew calls to overhaul child protective services
Republicans leaders in the House and Senate seized on Thursday’s letter of no confidence in the Office of Child and Family Services director to criticize the Mills administration.