PORTLAND, Maine (AP) Maine’s Republican governor says he’s addressing the concerns of child protective caseworkers who say the state’s child welfare system is being overloaded.
The Portland Press Herald reports Gov. Paul LePage said Monday he’ll draft legislation this week seeking more money for staff training and system upgrades. LePage said if caseworkers weren’t being heard before, they’re being heard now.
LePage’s remarks follow a Portland Press Herald story in which caseworkers described the system’s mismanagement, high caseloads and shifting expectations.
A Bangor Daily News report found the number of children taken into state custody was up 10 percent in the first four months of 2018: from 298 to 330. Maine’s resorted to housing some children in hotels.
A legislative watchdog is investigating Maine’s child welfare system following the deaths of two girls.
