AUGUSTA - Rep. Holly Stover, D-Boothbay, presented legislation Monday at a public hearing before the Legislature's Judiciary Committee that would assign attorneys to parents that the state has begun investigating for abuse or neglect but who are not yet the subjects of official court action.
LD 1240 would direct the Maine Commission on Indigent Legal Services to develop a two-year pilot program that could cover up to 30 low-income families living in Androscoggin, Franklin and Oxford counties who are involved in a department investigation. Additionally, the commission would implement a "warmline" for information and referrals.
"This legislation is an opportunity to address gaps in civil legal representation proactively and holistically," said Stover. "Pre-Petition legal representation is a form of preventative legal advocacy that aims to keep families together and children in their homes during the early stages of a child welfare case. This helps reduce the trauma of unnecessary child and family separations and protects the due process rights of parents and children during the early stages of a case."
The 130th Legislature established a commission to study providing legal representation to families in the Child Protection System. This bill is a result of the recommendations made by the commission following several months of meetings with lawmakers and experts.
The Legislature's Judiciary Committee will hold a work session on the bill in the coming weeks.
Rep. Holly Stover is serving her third term in the Maine House and represents Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor, Edgecomb, South Bristol, Southport and Westport Island. She is House chair of the Legislature's State and Local Government Committee and serves as a member of the Joint Select Committee on Housing.
Contact:
Brian Lee [Stover], c. 305-965-2744