Children’s Advocacy
The Children’s Advocacy Program at Disability Rights Maine serves children and young adults with disabilities, along with their families, as they navigate education, behavioral health treatment, and the transition to adulthood.
DRM often uses systemic approaches for issues impacting children and young adults. This helps us resolve problems for the most number of people within our resources.
Learn more about the rights that exist for children.
Children’s and Education Rights
Engaging in public education and outreach.
Transition to Adulthood
Engaging in public education and outreach.
Systemic Initiatives
Sign On Letter in Response to Legislative Action in Maine Which May Negatively Impact Services for Children with Disabilities
Legislative actions within our State may put multiple services for children with disabilities at risk. We are sharing this information because families deserve to know what is happening, how it may impact their children, and provide you an avenue for your voice to...
PRESS RELEASE: Advocates Oppose Efforts to Weaken Settlement for Maine’s Children’s Behavioral Health System
CONTACTS: Julia Endicott, Communications Director Disability Rights Maine 207-626-2774 ext. 212 jendicott@drme.org Sam Crankshaw, Communications Director ACLU of Maine 646-820-4548 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 18, 2025 Advocates Oppose Efforts to Weaken...
Press Release: Disability Rights Maine Maintains Opposition to Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities in Maine
CONTACT: Julia Endicott 978-877-3871 jendicott@drme.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 4, 2024 Disability Rights Maine Maintains Opposition to Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities in Maine Augusta – Today, the State of Maine released a request for...
PRESS RELEASE: Advocates Respond to U.S. Department of Justice Lawsuit Against State of Maine for Failures in Maine’s Children’s Behavioral Health System
CONTACT: Julia Endicott 978-877-3871 jendicott@drme.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 9, 2024 Advocates Respond to U.S. Department of Justice Lawsuit Against State of Maine for Failures in Maine’s Children’s Behavioral Health System The suit comes after more than...
Centering Youth Voice in Treatment
Adults make decisions for kids all the time. What time they wake up, what they eat for breakfast, how much TV they can watch, if they can hang out with their friend after school. Almost every aspect of a child’s life is predetermined by the adults providing care...
Now is the time to end the discriminatory use of abbreviated school days in Maine
Maine students with disabilities are routinely subjected to abbreviated school days due to disability-related behaviors. While federal law requires that schools provide supportive services when a student’s disability-related behaviors interfere with their learning...
Students Ages 3 to 22 Get Access to Services After DRM Intervention
Utilizing the systemic complaint process, DRM alerted the Maine Department of Education (MDOE) to two major issues affecting students with disabilities. Decisions in both cases were issued earlier this year. First, a regional office of Child Development Services...
Pulling Back the Curtain: Maine Children in Residential Placements
In July, Katrina Ringrose and I traveled to Fordyce, Arkansas, to visit a residential mental health treatment program where three Maine youth were living. In my three years at DRM, I have visited youth with disabilities in out-of-home placements across the state of...
Bullying in Schools: Strategies for Effective Intervention
When you think of bullying, you may picture a bigger student demanding lunch money from a smaller student at the back of a bus. Or, perhaps a demeaning comment made by one student about another’s clothing in a high school hallway. In reality, bullying is often...
How Can We Help?
Contact us anytime. DRM wants to hear from you. Whether you’re looking for advocacy, have a question, or just want to connect, please reach out.