Maine DHHS brings in outside group after 4 child deaths in past month
Jun. 24—Maine's Department of Health and Human Services has asked an outside agency to assist with an investigation and evaluation of the deaths of four young children in Maine in the past month.
Casey Family Programs, a national organization that works on child well-being issues, will help the department evaluate child safety policies in the context of the deaths and to offer interim policy recommendations that could be implemented by the state to support child and family safety, the department announced Thursday.
The department is also conducting its own review of the recent child deaths, as is standard policy.
Four children, all younger than 4, have died since the beginning of June from accidents or serious injuries. Parents have been charged in connection with three of those deaths. The deaths occurred on June 20 in Stockton Springs, June 17 in Temple, June 6 in Old Town and June 1 in Brewer, according to the department.
On Wednesday, 35-year-old Jessica Williams of Stockton Spring was charged with murder in connection to the death of her 3-year-old son Maddox Williams, who died Sunday after his mother and grandmother brought him to Waldo General Hospital in Belfast, police said.
Police have charged Ronald Harding with manslaughter in the death of his 6-week-old son, who police allege was shaken to death. Hillary Gooding was been charged with manslaughter in the death of her 3-year-old daughter in Old Town. The cause of the girl's death has not been released by police.
On June 17, a 4-year-old boy from the Franklin County town of Franklin died from what police believe was an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound.
"These deaths, like all involving children, are heartbreaking and deeply concerning. Every child in Maine deserves to have the opportunity to grow up healthy, to get a good education, and to live a productive, happy, and meaningful life. When children die, they are robbed of these opportunities and we lose the light, love, and potential of these children," DHHS Commissioner Jeanne Lambrew said in a statement. "This is a call to action. In addition to our own review and ongoing work, we requested Casey Family Programs bring to bear its wealth of experience and national perspective to help us, and we're bolstering StrengthenME to ensure Maine families have access to the support they need to cope with the significant stresses of the pandemic."
The department previously announced it would intensify and expand the StrengthenME campaign, which offers free stress management and resiliency resources for anyone in Maine experiencing stress reactions to the pandemic. There is evidence from Maine and across the country that suggests people are experiencing heightened mental health and substance use issues that are impacting parents and children, according to the department.
Todd Landry, director of the Office of Child and Family Safety, said the Casey Family Foundation will help state officials learn from the recent deaths to protect Maine children and support their families.
The work by the foundation will include an evaluation of whether changes are needed in Maine's Child & Family Services Strategic Plan, which was adopted in 2019. After the evaluation, the department will publicly release any recommended changes to the plan.
"The death of a child is a tragic loss for that child's family, this community and our state as a whole," he said in a statement. "It's our responsibility as a state and as a society to do everything we can to help children grow up safe and ensure that they have the love and attention they need."
This story will be updated.
