Superior Court Justice Daniel Billings said the jury was tainted by outbursts from the girl’s mother and declared a mistrial in the state’s case against Tyler Witham-Jordan in the death of 3-year-old Makinzlee Handrahan in 2022.
child welfare
Posted inLocal & State, News
Federal inspectors flag widespread deficiencies in Maine child abuse and neglect investigations
Maine’s Office of Child and Family Services said problems cited in the audit, which covered cases between October 2021 and September 2022, have been remedied or are in the process of being addressed.
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Posted inOp-eds, Opinion
Opinion: Recent lawsuits highlight DHHS failure to protect Maine kids
What will it take for the department to listen?
Posted inEditorials, Opinion
Our View: Standards for care of disabled kids have slipped out of sight
The neglect of Maine’s most vulnerable children is now the subject of a federal lawsuit. When can we expect evidence of reform?
Posted inBusiness, Nation & World, News
Parents will have to set aside some earnings for child influencers under new California laws
Parents and guardians who profit from social media posts featuring their children will soon be required to set aside some earnings for the young performers.
Posted inCops & Courts, Local & State, News
Maine’s watchdog agency spent years investigating 4 child deaths. Here are the takeaways.
The Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability presented its final report to the Legislature last week. Lawmakers wanted to know: What could the child welfare office have done differently?
Posted inLocal & State, News
Number of Maine children in state custody rises to 20-year high
There are 468 more children in protective custody now than 6 years ago, when state officials faced fresh scrutiny in the wake of 2 high-profile child deaths. What’s driving the increase?
Posted inHealth, Local & State, News
Instances of Maine children ingesting marijuana have quadrupled since 2020
The state data drew questions and concerns from lawmakers and officials about whether enough is being done to keep cannabis products out of the hands of children.
Posted inBusiness, Nation & World, News
McDonald’s, Wendy’s shareholders demand companies tackle child-labor problems
McDonald’s has called child-labor violations rare.
Posted inLocal & State, Uncategorized
‘Secret courts and secret decisions’: Calls for transparency in Maine’s child welfare system
Do confidentiality rules protect children and their families, or shield government agencies from public scrutiny?