AUGUSTA – Republican lawmakers are intensifying criticism of Maine’s Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) following new developments in the case of one-year-old Eleanora McLaughlin, the Milford infant who died of hypothermia late last year.
According to information released Tuesday by Senate Republicans, McLaughlin’s siblings are now in DHHS custody following a custodial dispute involving their grandmother, Michele Dupuis. Dupuis has been arrested and charged with criminal restraint after allegedly refusing visitation to the children’s father due to concerns about their safety. The siblings had been living with Dupuis following Eleanora’s death.
The renewed scrutiny comes months after McLaughlin was found unresponsive in late December while in the custody of her father. DHHS had previously been involved with the family but closed its case on Dec. 22, just days before the child was discovered in what lawmakers described as deplorable living conditions on Dec. 28. Following the incident, McLaughlin’s siblings were transported to the hospital, with one reported to be in serious condition.
Republican members of the Legislature’s Government Oversight Committee (GOC) said they sought answers from DHHS about the department’s involvement in the case but received a response stating that the agency is legally restricted from commenting on individual cases.
The McLaughlin case is now being cited alongside previous high-profile child welfare tragedies as lawmakers question the agency’s performance. Among those cases is the 2022 killing of three-year-old Makinzlee Handrahan in Edgecomb. In that case, Tyler Witham-Jordan was convicted last month of depraved indifference murder. DHHS had also been involved with that family after the child’s daycare reported signs of abuse.
Sen. Jeff Timberlake, (R-Androscoggin), the Senate Republican lead on the Legislature’s Government Oversight Committee, said the number of child deaths involving families previously known to the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) has risen sharply in recent years.
“More children with Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) involvement have died in the last five years than the previous 14 years combined,” Timberlake said. “How many more children do we have to lose before DHHS starts taking responsibility for these countless preventable tragedies?”
Sen. Brad Farrin, )R-Somerset), pointed to the findings released last week by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, which ruled McLaughlin’s death accidental due to hypothermia. He noted reports that the home lacked heat and running water.
“Just last week, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner stated the cause of death for Eleanora McLaughlin was accidental and caused by hypothermia,” Farrin said. “The home reportedly had no heat or running water. DHHS knew the home was not safe, yet they still closed the family’s case just days prior to her death. There is nothing accidental about how the three McLaughlin children were treated.”
Sen. Stacey Guerin, (R-Penobscot), said the situation reflects what she described as a recurring pattern in Maine’s child welfare system.
“Time and again, we see the same heartbreaking pattern: Warning signs are raised, DHHS is involved and still vulnerable children fall through the cracks,” Guerin said. “Maine families deserve a child welfare system that acts with urgency, accountability, transparency and, most importantly, competency before another life is lost.”
The case continues to draw attention from lawmakers and oversight officials as DHHS faces ongoing questions about its handling of child welfare investigations and decision-making processes in cases involving vulnerable children.
