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Maine’s child welfare agency outlines efforts to better support staff, foster families

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Maine’s child welfare agency outlines efforts to better support staff, foster families

Sep 17, 2024 | 4:49 pm ET
By AnnMarie Hilton
Maine’s child welfare agency outlines efforts to better support staff, foster families
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The failings of the Office of Child and Family Services, a division of the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, was a key focus of the Legislature last session. (Photo by Getty Images)

Maine’s embattled child welfare system has been making changes to improve staff support and retention, as well as resources for foster families after several recent child deaths put a spotlight on the agency’s shortcomings.

The failings of the Office of Child and Family Services, a division of the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, was a key focus of the Legislature last session, with the Government Oversight Committee producing a roughly 70-page report outlining almost 30 suggested reforms for the agency. These included frontline worker conditions, as well as support for foster families and improving access to various services. 

During a Tuesday meeting with the Legislature’s Blue Ribbon Commission to Study the Organization of and Delivery Service by the Department of Health of Human Services, the agency highlighted efforts to remedy the issues plaguing frontline workers and families involved with the system with the ultimate goal of improving child safety.

“We still have work to do, but moving in the right direction,” said Molly Bogart, director of government relations for DHHS, speaking about staffing improvements. Throughout her presentation to the commission, Bogart repeatedly emphasized that the improvements were “ongoing.”

Frontline workers and support staff

Testimony and reports from caseworkers shared with the Government Oversight Committee last November underscored the high level of burnout from the physically and emotionally demanding job, with dozens of unfilled vacancies and convoluted policies that they believed led to “unsound safety decisions.” 

In July, OCFS Director Bobbi Johnson reported fewer vacancies for caseworkers and case aides, highlighting a number of incentives that she believed are improving retention. Johnson wasn’t present for the meeting Tuesday. 

Following up on a recommendation from the oversight committee to improve recruitment and retention of frontline workers, Bogart said Tuesday there has been a “significant decrease” in vacancies across the agency, particularly among case aides. She reported a 10% vacancy rate for case aides, which is level with the numbers Johnson shared in late July and shows a continued improvement from the 25% vacancy rate earlier this year. 

However, state Rep. Margaret Craven (D-Lewiston) said she spoke with union representatives Monday about their concerns over a pending schedule change that they believe could lead to “another exodus.”

DHHS Deputy Commissioner Beth Hamm said the agency has been bargaining with the union over the impact of the changes on staff. Hamm added that the changes were a result of staff feedback. 

Robin Upton-Sukeforth, a field representative for Maine Service Employees Association, Local 1989 of the Service Employees International Union, which represents caseworkers, said the changes will affect three different units. 

Upton-Sukeforth told Maine Morning Star she hopes bargaining will continue even as the schedule changes are implemented to make sure staff are able to share how the changes affect their work-life balance. 

“This implementation of this schedule does not meet the work-life balance that the management has touted,” Upton-Sukeforth said, adding that “OCFS staff feel that this is going to create a lot of uncertainty” for their schedules. 

Bogart also gave an update on the eight new supervisor trainer positions to help prepare new staff and support ongoing training that were approved in the most recent budget. Bogart confirmed that at least six of those positions had been hired, but she said it is still early in the onboarding process. 

The agency also hired a dedicated hotel and emergency room coordinator, Bogart said. That person is not only working on how Maine uses those spaces as temporary holding places for some children but is also engaging with national experts to learn more about how these practices play out across the country. 

There was also a suggestion from the Government Oversight Committee to create special teams to deal with complex cases. Bogart said the agency is developing a protocol for this. That work was happening previously, but in an ad hoc way, she explained, so the protocol would streamline those procedures. 

More support for foster families 

Another series of recommendations touched on resource families, the term the state uses for what are commonly called foster families. 

Bogart outlined recent investments made in treatment foster care training, which will help families and providers be better equipped to serve children with higher needs, she explained.

The agency has also taken up the recommendation to expand financial support for foster families. In addition to funding allocated in the state budget, Bogart said the agency also established a dedicated contact to field financial concerns from foster parents. She added that they also created a working group to ensure those problems are being triaged and improved across the board. 

Other changes at OCFS 

There were several other small adjustments made by the agency Bogart shared with the commission.

For example, the agency has contracted with a second child abuse pediatrician to increase capacity for consultations when necessary. It also joined the National Center for Fatality Review and Prevention’s case reporting system, which should improve data collection and reporting. 

There was also discussion about the Be There for ME campaign that launched earlier this summer and is designed to be a tool for any parent or caregiver who needs resources for housing or behavioral health services. 

“I’m really heartened to see all that the department is doing along these lines,” said Rep. Daniel Shagoury (D-Hallowell), who is part of the Blue Ribbon Commission.