Maine Child Welfare Ombudsman says conditions have not improved
“It’s absolutely heartbreaking and frustrating," says Christine Alberi
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Updated: 7:57 PM EDT Jun 25, 2021
“It’s absolutely heartbreaking and frustrating," says Christine Alberi
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Updated: 7:57 PM EDT Jun 25, 2021
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FOLLOWING áTHEIR DEATHS... BUT ADVOCATES SAY THOSE HAVEN'T DONE ENOU. GH :1 4-21 ITS ABSOLUTELY HEARTBREAKING AND FRUSTRATING THAT WE SEEM T BE BACK IN THIS SAME PLACE AGAIN THAT WE WERE IN 2018. ALBE RI A PLACE CHRISTINE ALBERI, THE CHILD WELFARE OMBUDSMAN FOR MAINE, KNO WS TOO WELL... SHE INVESTIGATED THE DEATHS OF KENDALL CHICK AND MARISSA KENNEDY, AND FOUND FAILURES WITHIN MAINE D-H- H-S.... THAT SHE SAYS HAVE CONTIND UETO THIS DAY, DESPITE THE DEPARTMENT 60 STAFF MEMBERS SINCE 2019. 8:43-9:02 THIS IS T NO SOMETHING THAT HIRING NEW CASE WORKERS NECESSARILY CAN FIX THIS IS MORE OF A TRAINGNI ISSUE WE'VE FOU ND THAT THERE ARE SORT OF CONSISTENT PRACTICE ISSUES AT YOU KNOW THE INVESTIGATION PART OF THE CASE THE BEGINNING PART OF THE CASE AND THEN ALSOT E A END OF THE CASE WHEN CASE WORKERS ARE MAKING AND THE DEPARTMENT AND THE COUS RT ARE MAKING THE DECISION WHETHER TO SEND CHILDREN HOME 1:39-45 THE BIGGT ES PROBLEM IS THEY WILL NOT ADMIT THE SYSTEM IS BROK EN AND THAT UNTIL THEY DO WE AREN'T GONNA GET ANY CHANGES SEN. BILL DIAMOND SENATOR BILL DIAMOND HAS BEEN CALLING FOR CHILD WELFARE REFORM IN THE STATE SINCE LOGAN MARRAS W MURDERED BY HER FOSTER PARENT IN 2001... 31-41 THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICE AT THE TIME SAID WELL WE'LL FIX IT THE PROBLEM'S SERIOUS WE'LL FIX IT AND F THE LAST 20 YEARS THEY KEEPS SAYING IT SEN. DIAMOND RECENTLY, HE INTRODUCED LEGISLATION TO MAKE E TH OFFICE OF CHLD AND FAMILY SERVICES ITS OWN SEPARATE ENTITY FROM D-H-H- S... THE BILL FAILED IN THE SENATE... HE'S WORRIED THE DEPARTMENT'S ANNOUCNEM TN OF BRINGING IN AN OUTSI DE AGENCY TO REVIEW THE RECENT DEAHTS IS JUST REACTIONARY, AND WONT' BRING CHANGES NEEDED TO PROTECT KIDS. 3:43-54/58I THIN KITS SHUFFLING THE CARDS AGAIN AND WHEN THIS ALL SETTS LE DOWN LIKE IT DID IN '17 AND '18 WITH MARISSA KENNEDY AND KENDALL ICK CH EVERYBODY WAS OUTRAGED ABOUT THAT WERE GOING TO MAKE SOME CHANGES I HAN'T SEEN A LOT OF