MaineIndependent child advocate office will review complaints and services
Starting October 1, 2026, an independent state office will review complaints about children’s services, help families find support, and report on its work.
What it does
An independent state office reviews complaints about children’s services and may investigate agencies, review individual cases, and examine broader programs. Special rules apply before it interviews a child.
Families and the public can get free help finding state services. The office may access certain agency records to do its work, while confidentiality rules limit how information is shared.
Health and Human Services must notify the Child Advocate about covered child deaths. The office must also publish a yearly report on its work.
Argument forIndependent reviews could help agencies find problems in children’s services and recommend ways to improve care for children and families.
Argument againstAccess to sensitive agency files could worry families about privacy, even though records stay confidential and the law limits when findings may be shared.
More detail
The Office of the Child Advocate reviews complaints and may investigate agencies, review individual cases, and examine broader programs and policies. The office covers children under 18 who receive, qualify for, or received state services in the past three years, as well as children held in juvenile correctional facilities. For interviews with children receiving services from the Department of Health and Human Services, the office must consult the Attorney General and use methods suited to the child’s age and needs. Interviewing a child held by the Department of Corrections requires agreement from the prosecutor, the child’s defense attorney, and the Attorney General. The law takes effect October 1, 2026.
The office gives free information and referral help and may access certain agency records, staff, and facilities to carry out its work. Families and the public may seek help navigating state services. Access includes certain Health and Human Services records and staff, and juvenile information held by Corrections, with stated limits and confidentiality rules. Office records are confidential. If a child’s health, safety, or welfare is at risk, the office may share only the findings needed to address the issue. The relevant entity generally may not release findings while certain child protection, criminal, or juvenile proceedings are pending, unless the named agencies agree. Records held or created by the office must remain confidential until they have existed for 100 years.
The Department of Health and Human Services notifies the Child Advocate about certain child deaths, and the office reports publicly on its work each year. Death notices cover a child who had any child welfare involvement or whose death is suspected to have resulted from abuse or neglect. The annual report covers complaints, reviews, recommendations, help provided, outreach, and obstacles to the office’s work. A death notice is due within 48 hours after the department determines that the notice rules apply. Annual reporting begins in 2028, with reports due by January 15.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed 1st Chamber
- Passed 2nd Chamber
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Apr 16Signed by Governor Janet MillsLatest
- Apr 14Subsequently, PASSED TO BE ENACTED in concurrence.Major
- Apr 14On motion by Senator ROTUNDO of Androscoggin taken from the Special Appropriations Table
- Apr 9On motion by Senator ROTUNDO of Androscoggin PLACED ON THE SPECIAL APPROPRIATIONS TABLE pending PASSED TO BE ENACTED, in concurrence.Passed 2nd Chamber
- Apr 9Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.
- Apr 9PASSED TO BE ENACTED.Became Law
- Apr 8Ordered sent down forthwith.
- Vote recorded ACCEPT REPORT. Result: pass.Upper
- Vote recorded acc otp-am report. Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 8Under suspension of the Rules, READ A SECOND TIME and PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED AS AMENDED BY Committee Amendment "A" (H-993), in concurrence.Minor
- Apr 8Committee Amendment "A" (H-993) READ and ADOPTED, in concurrence.Minor
- Apr 8READ ONCE.Minor
- Apr 8Roll Call Ordered Roll Call Number 909 Yeas 35 - Nays 0 - Excused 0 - Absent 0
- Apr 8Report READ and ACCEPTED in concurrence.
- Apr 8Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.
- Apr 8The Bill was PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED as Amended by Committee Amendment "A" (H-993)Minor
- Apr 8Under suspension of the rules, the Bill was given its SECOND READING without REFERENCE to the Committee on Bills in the Second Reading.
- Apr 8Committee Amendment "A" (H-993) was READ and ADOPTED.Minor
- Apr 8The Bill was READ ONCE.Minor
- Apr 8(Yeas 148 - Nays 0 - Absent 2 - Excused 0 - Vacant 1)
- Apr 8ROLL CALL NO. 758
- Apr 8The Committee Report was READ and ACCEPTED.
- Apr 8On OBJECTION of Representative MEYER of Eliot REMOVED.
- Apr 8CONSENT CALENDAR - FIRST DAY
- Apr 7Reported Out - OTP-AM
- Mar 24Voted - OTP-AM
- Mar 24Work Session Held
- Mar 17Work Session Held - TABLED
- 2025
- Jun 25Carried over, in the same posture, to any special or regular session of the 132nd Legislature, pursuant to Joint Order SP 800.
- May 19Carry Over Approved
- May 16Carry Over Requested
- May 15Work Session Held - TABLED
- May 1The Bill was REFERRED to the Committee on HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant to Joint Rule 401.Minor
- May 1Received by the Clerk of the House on May 1, 2025.Introduced
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