Children in custody of Maine's Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) range in age from infancy to eighteen. Problems in the children's birth parent home such as drug/alcohol dependency, family violence, child abuse or neglect sometimes make foster care necessary. In most cases the court has ordered that children be placed in foster care to keep them safe. Most have been removed from their birth families because their birth parents were unable to provide adequately for them and were unable to improve their situations. This foster placement may range from a short-term placement, while DHHS works with birth parents to resolve the issues that caused them to be removed from their family, to a permanent situation if a child cannot return home.

These children may have experienced emotional abuse, sexual and physical abuse or neglect. Some are challenged learners; other children have some form of disability. All of the children in DHHS custody have had to deal with the loss of their birth parents and the grief caused by this loss. They have had to adapt to a whole new family and often a different way of life.

When birth parents are unable to correct the issues that exist in their home to keep their child safe, a court may terminate their parental rights. If this occurs, the children are then available for adoption. A child may be adopted by his or her foster family, a relative or another family approved for adoption.

If you suspect a child is being abused or neglected, please contact the Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-452-1999. The hotline is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Foster/adoptive children who need homes through DHHS have "special needs" due to the abuse/neglect they have experienced. These special needs may include:

• A physical, mental or emotional handicap.
• A medical condition.
• Being part of a sibling group who need to be placed together.
• Having factors in their birth family's background such as severe mental illness, substance abuse, genetic or medical conditions or illnesses that places the child at risk for future problems.
• Developmental delays that include the need for speech, physical or occupational therapies or special services in school.
• Behavior issues: temper tantrums - hitting/kicking, destruction of property, assaultive or aggressive behaviors.
• Problems in social functioning such as stealing, lying or causing problems at school or in the neighborhood.
• A background of sexual abuse.
• The need for constant supervision.
• Attachment issues due to multiple placements, such as an inability to demonstrate affection.
• A need to attend therapy