If you are concerned about a child being neglected or abused, call Maine’s 24-hour hotline at 800-452-1999 or 711 to speak with a child protective specialist. Calls may be made anonymously. For more information, visit https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/ocfs/cw/reporting_abuse.shtml.
A federal audit that examined Maine’s response to reports of child abuse and neglect found that the state failed to meet requirements in 94 percent of cases.
Although the audit reviewed reports from two to three years ago, it’s another blistering critique of a child welfare system that has been under the spotlight following multiple child deaths in recent years.
The Office of the Inspector General identified Maine among the top five states of concern for child abuse and neglect. In its audit of 100 cases between the fall of 2021 and 2022, it found that Maine failed to meet at least one requirement in nearly all of its responses to reports of child abuse and neglect. Those requirements include failing to complete safety assessments and investigations within prescribed timelines. Some were hundreds of days late.
Tammy Leveque, an assistant regional inspector general for audit services, said those timelines matter because the information is used to determine child safety.
“Without proper oversight of these processes, there’s no way for Maine or any other state to know exactly whether their children are being kept safe,” Leveque said.
The audit recommends that Maine develop written policies and procedures and conduct additional training for caseworkers and supervisors. It expects a progress report in six months.
Maine Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson Lindsay Hammes said the agency agrees that practice has not always aligned with policy. She noted that the cases examined were from two to three years ago and said that the recommendations “reflect many of the important steps OCFS [Office of Child and Family Services] has already taken, or is in the process of implementing, to improve our system of screening, investigating, and responding to reports alleged abuse and/or neglect.”
This article appears through a media partnership with Maine Public.
