A bill before the Maine Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee would establish an emergency rate increase and a stabilization fund for children’s residential care facilities.
The legislation would issue $1 million to a sustainability fund aimed at stabilizing children’s residential treatment providers at risk of closing, according to a Jan. 30 news release from the state’s House Democrats.
Rep. Julie McCabe, D-Lewiston, said financial pressures over the past two decades have led to the closure of behavioral healthcare providers and the loss of hundreds of residential beds, forcing children with complex behavioral and mental health needs to remain in emergency departments or seek care out of state.
Maine has six residential care providers, but only two serve children and adolescents with intellectual or developmental disabilities. The state has 130 licensed care beds, while 76 children are on a waitlist for residential care services, the release said.
Access challenges persist for families able to secure placement. Only 23% of children receive care in their home county, and some families face nearly eight-hour round trips to visit their child. In addition, 67 children are receiving care in facilities outside of Maine, including locations in Florida and Missouri, according to the release.
