AUGUSTA – On Friday, the Government Oversight Committee (GOC) took comments from legislators and members of the public regarding the Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability’s (OPEGA) evaluation report of initial child protection investigations. Sen. Bill Diamond, D-Windham, issued the following statement in response:
“After attending today’s public comment period, it’s clearer than ever that the issues with Maine’s child protection system are structural, ingrained, and that they come from the top. The vast majority of frontline caseworkers are dedicated and hardworking people who care deeply about the safety and wellbeing of Maine children and families. But the culture within the Department of Health and Human Services is not giving these workers and the families they support the best chance at success.
“It’s time we acknowledge what the issues are so that we can get to the root of the problem and fix things. After you take away all of the fluffy language and well-groomed excuses from DHHS nothing has changed and children are still dying. In reading OPEGA’s report and hearing from the brave parents, foster parents, and caregivers who offered testimony today, I feel we’re in the perfect moment to face reality and make things better. I just hope that leadership within child protection services can also seize this moment and take responsibility.”
Friday’s public comment period focused on part two of a three-part review OPEGA is conducting at the direction of the Government Oversight Committee. The report focused on the investigations OCFS carries out in determining if a child is safe in their home and if abuse or neglect is taking place. OPEGA identified key areas of concern and made recommendations about how those areas can be improved.
Of particular note was the inclusion of Quality Assurance Case Review (QA) results. Every six months, 65 cases are selected for QA review, which uses a federally prescribed methodology to evaluate how effectively case investigations are being conducted. OPEGA outlined that of 109 cases examined for their report, QA review found that all risk and safety concerns posed to a child in the home were adequately assessed in just 35% of cases. Of 86 cases reviewed for safety plan efficacy, just 14% of cases had a safety plan that was appropriately developed alongside the family and continually monitored and updated as needed. And of 106 cases reviewed for the quality of child visits, quality of child visits was sufficient to address issues pertaining to safety, permanency, and well-being of the child, and sufficient to promote the achievement of case goals, in just 24% of cases.
OPEGA’s review comes after four Maine children, all younger than four years old, died between May and August 2021, with parents being charged with either manslaughter or murder in their deaths. While details about these cases are still forthcoming, reports indicate that the Department of Health and Human Services was aware of prior neglect in at least one victim’s family, that of three-year-old Maddox Williams. Last year saw the highest number of child deaths since DHHS started keeping records in 2007, with 25 child deaths reported, not including the four child homicides, including that of Maddox Williams, as criminal cases are still ongoing.
OPEGA presented part one of their report, an information brief outlining oversight of Child Protective Services, in January. Part three will be presented in September and will consist of an evaluation report focusing on reunification and permanency determinations in child protection cases.
If you suspect a child is being abused or neglected, call 1-800-452-1999. If you have questions or concerns about a child protective services case, you can contact the Ombudsman’s office at 1-866-621-0758. For emergencies, dial 911 or call your local police department.