A bipartisan group of lawmakers said they will continue to push for reforms in the state child welfare system and that some changes already in the works will take time.

The lawmakers on Friday highlighted a report issued in February that called for more case aides to help front line workers, better training and mentoring and more access to mental health and other services for families in crisis.

Some of those goals will be met through funding recently approved in the state budget. Others — such as creating a separate Office of Child and Family Services division – did not get legislative approval.

Sen. Craig Hickman (D-Winthrop), chairman of the Government Oversight Committee, said some recommendations can be implemented by the Department of Health and Human Services without the consent of the Legislature.

“Our eyes will be on them, their eyes will be on us, and we’ll work in collaboration to ensure that we can move forward by improving our system to make sure all of our children are safe from neglect and abuse and death,” Hickman said.

The committee focused on child safety after the deaths of four children in the summer of 2021, all of whom had contacted the state child welfare department.

It also heard from overworked and overwhelmed caseworkers and many others involved in the system, from the attorneys who represent children to the foster families who care for them.

“It became clear that frontline workers are simply overwhelmed,” Hickman said. “That the general state of staff burnout, turnover and vacancies only increases the risks for vulnerable children in Maine.”

Last week, following an event by Walk a Mile in Their Shoes, a nonprofit working to improve child safety, the department released a statement saying it has reduced caseworker vacancies by 25% since January, increased pay for child welfare staff and added administrative positions.

It also announced that the state has joined the National Partnership for Child Safety, a quality improvement collaborative.

Sen. Lisa Keim (R-Dixfield) said lawmakers have spent the last two years doing a deep dive into the system, uncovering weak points.

Earlier this week, Gov. Janet Mills announced that DHHS Commissioner Jeanne Lambrew will leave her position at the end of the month to take a job in Washington, something Keim sees as an opportunity for change.

“We may have an opportunity here that I hope we seize to do better,” Keim said.

She praised the foster families and frontline workers who testified in front of the committee.

“We now have a more comprehensive idea of the problems that there are and people have become so communicative with us as individual members and with us as a committee,” she said. “They know we’re watching. They know we’re paying attention.”

She said moving forward, she hopes the Legislature can continue to look for ways to remove the child welfare department from the larger DHHS.

Also, she said lawmakers need better access to records so they can best perform the role of oversight.

Many of the recommendations were shaped by parents frustrated with the system and those who have lost loved ones, said Rep. Jessica Fay (D-Raymond).

“Many of the recommendations in this report will likely take some time to bear fruit at a time when we need immediate results,” she said. “This is a challenging truth to face.”