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.

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Transition to Adulthood

Engaging in public education and outreach.

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Systemic Initiatives

Maine Family Engagement Survey

The Statewide Family Engagement Center for Maine, Consortium for Engaging Families Across Maine (CEFAM) is asking families to take this short survey to help shape future programs and resources. You can enter to win a $50 gift certificate after completing the...

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...

DRM Opposes DHHS Proposal for 1115 Waiver

Medicaid is a health insurance program that is funded jointly by states and the federal government. In Maine this program is known as MaineCare. This insurance provides health coverage to over 200,000 Mainers, including eligible low-income adults, children,...

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.

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800.452.1948 (V/TTY)

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