Indicator: Children and Youth in State Care or Custody

Priority or Priorities:  ACES/Resiliency
Initiative(s): Trauma-Informed System of Care (THRIVE)
Outcome (s): Children and youth respected, safe and nurtured in their communities

Why This is Important

Placement in the state’s custody most commonly occurs when it is determined that a child is unsafe because of serious harm or threats of serious harm that cannot be managed by the protective capacity of the parents or caregivers. The Maine District Court must find that the child is in circumstances of jeopardy, that remaining in the home is contrary to the welfare of the child and that Maine Child and Family Services has made reasonable efforts to prevent the removal of the child from the home (Maine DHHS, 2007). Youth occasionally come into Maine Department of Health and Human Services care when parents or other legal guardians place them voluntarily in that care as part of that parent's short-term plan to resume full care of the child(ren). This is an important indicator for communities as they consider how well families are able to nurture their children and what supports are needed and available to them.

Where We Stand

The chart above shows how many children and youth were in the care/custody of the State of Maine in January of each year. Between 1995 and 2001, this number grew steadily. Since then, it has steadily declined. In general, a slight majority of Maine young people in care are male, and most are white. About 23% are younger than 4 years old, roughly a quarter are between ages 4 and 10, and about 43% are between 11 and 17. The rest (10) are over age 17.

Data Source and Context

The data source for this indicator is the Office of Child and Family Services, Maine Department of Health and Human Services. These numbers include some children who are in custody for only a short time, often only a few days.