AUGUSTA, Maine — Maine's Government Oversight Committee on Friday released the findings of a two-year investigation into the state Department of Health and Human Services' embattled Office of Child and Family Services.
Maine leads the country as the state with the highest rate of child maltreatment and child abuse cases, according to a 2023 study.
State Sen. Craig Hickman, who serves as the committee's chair, said it was asked to step in to investigate the office.
"We were the only committee in state government that has the authority to subpoena records, to put people under oath," Hickman said.
Hickman said the committee was flooded with testimony from caseworkers, uncovering problems that have been worsening for years. during its two-year investigation into DHHS's child welfare system, which broke a dam, he explained, uncovering problems that have been worsening for years.
"In this case, it was up to the Government Oversight Committee to invite the workers from the Department of Health and Human Services, the caseworkers, to come forward and tell us their stories directly," Hickman said. "Which many of them were reluctant to do. It took a lot of courage and bravery to do, because many of them feared retaliation from their former director. We were able to have them tell us their truths."
DHHS Commissioner Jeanne Lambrew announced Tuesday she will step down May 31.
Hickman said testimony revealed mismanagement, lack of support for workers, and structural issues. Hickman also added that many of the issues in the office are operational or management issues.
Bill Diamond, a child advocate and founder of the nonprofit Walk a Mile in Their Shoes, said the office's failures often cost children their lives.
"Maddox Williams should be 5 years old today," Diamond said. "Instead, he was beat to death by his mother. That did not have to happen, and there are many others."
Diamond said DHHS poorly analyzes child abuse instances, often reuniting children with their abusive families. He said reunification is not always in the best interest of the child.
He added caseworkers and employees at the department are tasked with making decisions that ultimately protect children who are in state or protective services, and when they make the wrong decision, there are extreme consequences.
The committee made several recommendations to DHHS, including implementing regular consultations between child abuse pediatricians and children in government custody, and increasing support for caseworkers and foster families.
A pay increase for caseworkers was included in the Maine legislature's recent supplemental budget, but reform that could potentially resolve present management issues in the department itself fell through, some lawmakers said.
"The structural reforms did not go through largely because of the administration's opposition," Sen. Joe Baldacci said.
Baldacci heavily criticized Gov. Janet Mills, giving that the department falls in her jurisdiction. He said he believes the Senate is more than willing to pass bills that will improve child welfare, but explained those same bills lack support in the House.
"Legislators are frustrated with the lack of willingness on the governor's part to meet the senate halfway," he said. "There is no service or outreach by the department, there's not enough supervision, if you will, of parents who need help or should not be parents. So, there's a real mismatch in the whole system."
Baldacci has supported one bill that would make DHHS and child/family office separate departments and another bill that would place an inspector general in the child and family services offices for oversight. Both bills failed in the House.
"We have said this many times in the last year. We're open to evidence that suggest that if that will make a difference in any child's lives, show it to us," Lambrew said in a recent interview with NEWS CENTER Maine, referring to the suggestion of separating DHHS and the child/family office. "Because it does take work and cost to do that."
Mills said the safety of children has always been her priority and explained that she is hopeful her administration can help bring changes needed to improve child welfare in the state.
"We're intent on doing everything we can to prevent child abuse," Mills said. "For goodness sakes, I was a district attorney for 15 years in three counties. That was our main priority then. It is our main priority now as well."
With many representatives from the committee's investigation board completing their terms in the legislature and new elected officials preparing to move in, Diamond said he fears progress remains far out of reach.
"The priority has to be [this]: Place that child where the child is the safest," Diamond said.
The recommendations made by the board are suggestions, and DHHS is not required to implement them.