Watchdog finds 'substantial issues' with numerous child welfare cases last year in Maine
AUGUSTA (WGME) -- A report released this week by Maine's Child Welfare watchdog found, in numerous cases, the state is still struggling to protect vulnerable children.
The annual report, issued by Maine's Child Welfare Ombudsman, highlights persistent challenges case workers within the state's Department of Health and Human Services continue to face when it comes to child placement and reunification.
According to the report, half of the cases reviewed and closed by the Ombudsman in 2021 had "substantial issues" where caseworkers failed to follow best practices or adhere to policy, leading to impacts on the safety of children or the rights of parents.
In one case highlighted in the report, the Ombudsman wrote, "The Department did not recognize that children were in immediate risk of serious harm and were left unsafe with the parents for months due to substance use and mental health issues."
In another case the Ombudsman's review found, "The Department implemented many safety plans during the case that were not sufficient to ensure the safety of two young children."
This latest report comes after 4 high-profile child deaths last summer, which led to increased scrutiny of the child welfare system.
"It's been three years, at least, of the same problems," Senator Bill Diamond (D-Windham) said. "And they're still failing at that. That's how kids end up murdered or manslaughter, whatever the case may be."
Sen. Diamond has been pushing for reforms within DHHS for a number of years and believes this latest report shows they're needed now more than ever.
"It isn't about going after heads and it isn't about pointing fingers," Diamond said. "It's about finding a way to solve the problem."
State lawmakers are expected to debate child welfare reforms this session. Legislation up for consideration includes bills aimed at providing better monitoring of the state's child protective services program and strengthen the ombudsman's office.
"We need to get this thing solved," Diamond said.
The report did highlight a number of success seen in certain cases, including the ability of caseworkers to create and follow proper safety plans and their ability to establish strong relationships with families. The Ombudsman highlighted the dedication of many of DHHS's caseworkers, especially as their job has become more challenging during the COVID-19 pandemic.
While DHHS told the I-Team no one was available for an interview Thursday, the agency did release it's own report and response to the Ombudsman's report this week.
In its response, DHHS said the Ombudsman only reviewed a small portion of the 12,000 cases handled by the agency in 2021. Officials within the department also highlighted recent efforts to increase hiring and training for caseworkers.
"Since 2019, DHHS has focused on supporting child protective staff by increasing their pay, enhancing training and securing funding for more than 70 new staff positions to improve caseload and workload," DHHS wrote in its response. "In addition, the number of resource (foster) families caring for Maine children has increased by nearly 30 percent."
The agency also says it continues to use the Ombudsman's reports to address concerns by individual families and to inform possible systemic changes.