Maine lawmakers advance several child protection bills

The Maine Legislature is trying to support families and child protection programs after the state saw an increase in child deaths.

Specifically, the state legislature is looking to invest over $2.6 million into child protection programs.

According to AP News, several bills have advanced in the state legislature. As of Monday, four bills have been endorsed so far. These bills would establish a program that would provide legal representation to families who are involved in child safety investigations, and would increase supervision of child protective services.

These legal reforms are a result of a Department of Health and Human Services report that found 25 children died last year. This is the highest since data collection began in 2007, and it did not include the at least four homicide deaths that are currently being investigated.

The bills will be voted on in the state House and Senate in the coming weeks. Representative Ned Claston sponsored the bill, and said that the Department of Health and Human Services to report progress to the Government Oversight Committee “to hold them accountable.”