AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) Maine’s Republican governor has proposed child welfare bills that include making failing to report child abuse a crime.
The Legislature’s Health and Human Services committee will discuss Gov. Paul LePage’s four bills Monday.
LePage wants to remove a requirement in law making reunifying and rehabilitating families a priority. Instead, his bill would only require Maine to make “reasonable efforts” to keep families together.
LePage’s legislation would also make not reporting child abuse or neglect a crime punishable by up to 30 days or a fine up to $500.
One bill would allow the state to expunged child protective case words and access confidential criminal history records when investigating child abuse and neglect.
Child caseworkers’ workloads have spiked as call volumes increase and policy changes require more assessments of some allegations.
