Lawmakers lambasted the head of the state’s child welfare agency Wednesday following the release of a report that shows Maine children experience repeat instances of abuse and neglect at twice the national average.

The report, first highlighted by the Portland Press Herald last week, says Maine’s rate of recurring maltreatment is 19.6%, compared to the national average of 9.7%.

On Wednesday, frustration from Government Oversight Committee members bubbled over during a wide-ranging discussion about the Department of Health and Human Services with Todd Landry, director of the Office of Child and Family Services.

“I’m really concerned we’re not getting better,” said. Rep. Anne-Marie Mastracccio (D-Sanford). “If I was in your position, I would be asking myself ‘gee am I providing the leadership that I should be to bring us to a different place’ because it is not getting better.”

Criticism came from the other side of the aisle as well, with Sen. Lisa Keim (R-Dixfield) saying she and others are “shocked and horrified by the news that keeps coming out.”

“If we were to take a vote today, I’d take a vote of no confidence in you,” she said. “The buck stops there. It just does.”

Landry said he was frustrated with how the media characterized the 365-page Annual Progress & Service Report that the state is required to file every year.

“I very much regret that in some of the recent media reports that they chose to present only certain pieces of that 365-page report and I hope you and others, as hard as it may be, will take the time to read the entire report,” he said.

Landry then outlined positive aspects of the report, such as the state’s kinship care program, the number of children placed in homes rather than in congregate settings, and data that shows success with permanently placing children.

He said workforce challenges have made the work of the department more difficult and offered to come back to the committee to explain the report more thoroughly.

Keim also criticized the committee itself, saying they too have failed in their duty to provide strong oversight. She said the committee needs to prioritize child welfare and meet more regularly to find ways to help.

“We have children dying and it’s our job, we are the Government Oversight Committee and we have to take this more seriously,” she said.

The comments came in light of the recent arrest of Tyler Witham-Jordan, 29, of Edgecomb who is charged with depraved indifference murder in the death of Makinzlee Handrahan, 3.

Court records show DHHS had prior involvement with the family just months before Makinzlee’s death.

The committee has spent years investigating child deaths in which DHHS has had prior contact with the families.

After the meeting, DHHS spokeswoman Jackie Farwell provided more context about the abuse and neglect statistics, saying that Maine identifies “maltreatment at a higher rate and a higher recurrence rate than other states” because it uses a broader definition.

“The Department has chosen to err on the side of overinclusion in reporting on concerns of child abuse and neglect relative to other states in the interest of public awareness and evidence-based action,” she wrote.

But during the meeting, Mastraccio said she did not want to hear any excuses from the department about how data collection may have affected the numbers.

“A dead child is a dead child,” she said. “I’m putting you on notice that I’m not happy. I am kind of depressed that we’re where we are. I thought we would be further along.”

Keim took on Landry for saying that the media should have reported on the positive statistics in the report.

“Of course they didn’t, because our children are dying at an amazing rate,” she said. “Of course they didn’t mention the good things in the report because you really can’t see them for the bloodbath we’re in.”

Keim and Mastraccio both acknowledged that the work of the child welfare agency has been made more difficult in recent years because of the opioid epidemic.

And other committee members agreed that they will need to meet more regularly to probe for solutions to the state’s child welfare crisis.

“I think it’s time the committee does take the bull by the horns and we have to schedule ourselves to be in here almost like the Appropriations Committee if that’s what it takes,” said Sen. Jeff Timberlake (R-Turner). “Day after day, week after week to get this done.”