Federal Audit Found Widespread Policy Failures in Maine’s Child Welfare Agency. What Can We Learn From It?
A federal audit found that Maine’s Office of Child and Family Services failed to fully comply with required child welfare policies in 94 of 100 reviewed cases. In the first installment of The Record, The Maine Mirror examines the findings, DHHS’s response, and why preserving the public record matters.
Internal DHHS Emails Reveal Sharp Divide Over Maine Child Protective Services Emergency Unit Restructuring
Internal emails obtained through Maine’s Freedom of Access Act reveal sharply different perspectives on the restructuring of OCFS Children’s Emergency Services. A frontline caseworker warned legislators that the changes could impact child safety, while DHHS leadership defended the decision as a data-informed effort to improve coordination. The Maine Mirror has filed additional FOAA requests seeking the records cited by department leadership.
The Price of Transparency: How Maine DHHS Turned Public Records into a Paywall
A Maine citizen’s Freedom of Access Act requests began with a promise of $0 and a four-week turnaround, only to grow into invoices totaling $450 and $50,875, months of delays, and ultimately no records produced. This investigative report examines the timeline, escalating costs, procedural hurdles, and broader questions surrounding transparency, public records, and accountability within the Maine Department of Health and Human Services.