Children are dying and lawmakers—in Maine, at least—want answers. In June, five children in the state, all four years or younger, died of neglect or abuse. In three of the cases, caregivers face manslaughter or murder charges; in at least one case, the family is well-known to child protective services.
What went wrong? The answers remain elusive, even after Casey Family Programs conducted an investigation for the state. Casey’s report, as the Portland Press Herald puts it, “did not go into detail about specific failures related to the spate of deaths that prompted the state to ask for help, focusing instead on systemic issues.” The report discusses matters like staff turnover and the need for parent mentor programs, as well as more communication among different agencies.
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