PORTLAND, Maine — Child advocates are still looking for an action plan from the Department of Health and Human Services after leaders testified in Augusta, on Wednesday.
The Government Oversight Committee heard testimony from both Commissioner Jeanne Lambrew and acting Director Bobbi Johnson as they addressed pitfalls of staffing levels and support services for caseworkers, among others.
"Performance on some key child welfare metrics has worsened—staff vacancy rates have risen and it's important to acknowledge that," Lambrew said Wednesday.
Members addressed each with additional questions regarding what steps are in place to right the wrongs laid out in a recent report from the Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability, which revealed missteps in the case of Jaden Harding.
"We can't just keep saying 'Here's the new initiative, just wait, things are going to turn around,'" committee member Senator Lisa Keim said, a response other members echoed in the meeting.
While many are applauding the acknowledgment by Lambrew, child advocates who listened in on the testimony said they still are waiting to hear a clear-cut plan from leaders of DHHS and the Maine Child Protection Services system.
"They have been saying, 'Now we'll do something.' I have been listening to them for five years. It's time we stop accepting that as an answer," former Senator Bill Diamond said.
Founder of the non-profit Walk A Mile in Their Shoes, Diamond works closely with families to prevent the abuse of children under the state of Maine's care.
By listening closer to caseworkers and families affected, Diamond believes the department could better identify risky situations—rather than wait for change through a new director as mentioned in Wednesday's opening statements.
"If they're going to make some changes, they have to change the culture. Simply changing people as I say won't help. That culture change would have to be a more willingness to listen," Diamond added.
Others said change must be made quickly, with the pandemic only worsening the challenges families face in Maine.
"Families are more stressed, they're experiencing more challenges and they have less access to the support that they need to get the help they need," Melissa Hackett, policy associate of the Maine Children's Alliance, said.
Spent wisely, Hackett said future funding could go towards programs and additional positions both to support existing caseworkers and the families they serve.
"By having specific staff members to focus on certain parts of the system where caseworkers said 'I really need more help with this so I can feel like I can do my job well,'" Hackett added.