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A recent report from the independent watchdog monitoring Maine's child welfare agency found a whole host of issues: failure to conduct sufficient investigations, failure to interview witnesses, failure to conduct drug screens, and more. And these problems aren't new — in her presentation to lawmakers, she said she's tired of writing the same report year after year. 

This week our government accountability reporter Josh Keefe has a new installment in his continued look at Maine's embattled child welfare system: an analysis of the ombudsman's report and a new federal data set.

As one advocate put it: “I talked to policymakers, and they're like, ‘Okay, we've added 100 case workers, and we've thrown all this money at the agency. Why are kids still dying?’” 

That's the big question. Read Josh's deep dive to hear her answer, and to get a sense of what the data tells us — both here and elsewhere. 

We also have stories on staffing ratios in residential care homes, the rise in demand for birth control ahead of Trump's inauguration, concerns about Maine's 'crisis pregnancy centers' and more. Plenty to read as temperatures drop.

— Stephanie

New federal data shows Maine's child welfare agency is moving against national trends

The latest child maltreatment report shows that Maine is investigating more families and removing more children while child protective agencies in nearly all other states are moving in the opposite direction. 

It bolsters some advocates’ argument that Maine is failing to keep kids safe not because it is investigating too few families but because it is investigating too many, and failing to identify the true threats in the deluge of cases.

Read this story by Josh Keefe.

Following outcry, Maine health department waters down proposed staffing ratios: The Department of Health and Human Services released a new proposal with less aggressive increases than were initially proposed, and will give residential care facilities two years to phase in the changes. Read this story by Rose Lundy.

Maine clinics see high demand for birth control ahead of Trump term: Fear about possible changes to contraception coverage is motivating a number of Mainers to get IUDs and other forms of long-lasting birth control. Read this story by Emma Zimmerman.

Concerns raised about Maine’s ‘crisis pregnancy centers’: Activists say these centers circulated misinformation about “abortion pill reversals” not supported by studies. Read this story by Rose Lundy.

Federal agencies, DOT spar over Machias causeway: Federal agencies say DOT plan for Machias dike likely to have “significant adverse effects” on fish, marsh. Read this story by Joyce Kryszak.

As Portland transitions away from PFAS-laden firefighting foam at the Jetport, lawmakers intend to make state follow: Brunswick airport’s toxic foam spill highlighted the need to transition to safer alternatives. A Brunswick legislator is pushing for that to happen. Read this story by Emmett Gartner.

Maine rarely sanctions residential care facilities even after severe abuse or neglect incidents

From 2020 to 2022, Maine’s state health department cited residential care facilities for dozens of resident rights violations and hundreds of other deficiencies. But it has imposed only one fine in response.

Read this November 2023 story by Rose Lundy

Know of a story that we should be digging into? Send it to our newsroom. 

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