The federal government's dereliction allows states to fall short on meeting minimum child welfare standards. Below is information specific to Maine.

CFSR Results Summary: In its Child and Family Services Review (CFSR) process, HHS determines whether each state is in substantial conformity with 7 specific outcomes (pertaining to the areas of safety, permanency and family and child well-being) and 7 systemic factors (relating to the quality of services delivered to children and families and the outcomes they experience).  In the first two rounds of the CFSR, HHS has concluded that Maine was:

Round 1 (2003)

• NOT in substantial conformity with 6 of the 7 Outcomes
• NOT in substantial conformity with 3 of the 7 Systemic Factors

Round 2 (2009)   

• NOT in substantial conformity with 7 of the 7 Outcomes
• NOT in substantial conformity with 2 of the 7 Systemic Factors

Although federal law mandates that any state found not to be operating in substantial conformity during an initial or subsequent review must begin a full review within two years after approval of the state's program improvement plan, HHS has announced that Maine will not undergo Round 3 of the CFSR until FY 2017 (see CFSR Technical Bulletin #7 (March 2014)).

Documents from the U.S. Health & Human Services Children's Bureau

• Child and Family Services Review Reports and Results
  
  
  • Maine Performance Improvement Plan (Round 2)
  • Final Report: Maine Child and Family Services Review, 2009 (Round 2)
  • Maine Performance Improvement Plan (Round 1)
  • Final Report: Maine Child and Family Services Review, 2003 (Round 1)
• Title IV-E State Reports and Program Improvement Plans (PIPs)
  
  
  • Initial Primary (FY 2001)
  • Secondary Review (FY 2004)
  • Primary Review (FY 2007)
  • Subsequent Primary Review (FY 2010)
  • Subsequent Primary Review (FY 2013)
• Other Documents / Reports
  
  
  • Maine AFCARS Assessment Review (2013)
  • Maine section from HHS' Child Welfare Outcomes, 2009-2012, Report to Congress

Child Welfare In the News**

• Maine Wabanaki-State Child Welfare Truth & Reconciliation Commission and Maine-Wabanaki REACH (Portsmouth Herald - November 24, 2014) The goal of the TRC is three-fold: They are charged to learn what happened to the Wabanaki children in the foster-care system; give people an opportunity to share their stories to start the healing process; and work with the Maine child welfare system to moving forward to figure out how best to work with native populations.
  
  

**news summaries taken from daily newsfeed service of HHS' Child Welfare Information Gateway