Rep. David Boyer (R-Poland) is organizing the “Rally to Save Maine’s Kids” for Wednesday and is asking Mainers to come protest in favor of a bipartisan bill to address the catastrophic failings in Maine’s child welfare system that have led to the deaths of 150 children.
[RELATED: Two Child Welfare Reform Bills Remain in Limbo as Maine Legislature Adjourns…]
“We need to do something. We haven’t done much this session on these deaths, and it’s still happening. But Democratic leadership is saying, no, no, no, we have to run cover for the second floor, but it is alive, and it will be alive tomorrow,” said Rep. Boyer speaking with The Maine Wire.
The rally, to be held at the State Capitol at 9:00 a.m., will advocate for the passage of the bipartisan LD 127, that would allow for greater scrutiny and oversight of Maine’s failing child welfare program.
Over the past five years, more than 150 children have died while under the care of Maine’s Office of Child and Family Services (OCFS), and Boyer believes that not enough has been done to prevent future tragic deaths.
Late last year a one-year-old girl died after allegedly freezing to death in a home with no running water or heat.
The OCFS was at least somewhat aware of the situation, and had investigated the home’s living conditions, but closed the case just one week before the baby’s death.
[RELATED: Milford Tot’s Death May Be Due To ‘Failed Oversight By Maine’s Child Welfare Agency’…]
The majority amendment of LD 127 would give the Government Oversight Committee (GOC) the ability to meet in executive session and review confidential child welfare records.
Boyer believes that the committee will be better able to work towards a solution to the serious problems in the OCFS if they can look at files and see exactly what went wrong in the most tragic cases.
“We got to look at the case files, get down to the nitty gritty, and see where the breakdown is,” Boyer told The Maine Wire.
The bill, sponsored by Sen. Craig Hickman (D-Kennebec), has drawn significant bipartisan support and has already passed through the Senate.
Despite a majority vote in the House on April 14, the bill did not move forward immediately due, Boyer said, to a procedural objection from Rep. Matt Moonen (D-Portland) who objected to suspending the rules to allow a second vote on the same day.
Boyer is urging Mainers to rally on Wednesday, veto day, to tell their representatives to pass the bill so that it can move forward to Gov. Janet Mills’ (D-Maine) desk for approval.
The rally will include speakers who have been impacted by Maine’s failing OCFS.
As of Tuesday morning, 16 people have promised to go via the event’s Facebook page, and 38 more have said that they are interested.
I know one surefire way to reduce child deaths under DHHS supervision – stop hiring newly minted sociology graduates with no real-world experience and giving them any responsibilities for those kids. I’ve seen it.