LEWISTON (NEWS CENTER Maine) — Maine lawmakers heard testimony Friday morning as part of emergency legislation to fund Community Partnerships for Protecting Children, a state organization geared towards preventing child abuse.
In early March, the state grappled with the idea of defunding CPPC.
CPPC acts as an intermediary, connecting parents with parenting resources across the state like Child Abuse and Neglect Councils (CANs).
CANs exist all over the state. In Lewiston, one of those is Advocates for Children, a nonprofit that teaches parents skills for raising children in a healthy and safe way, helping them be better parents, as well as coping with the frustrations of having a new child, and preventing child abuse.
“It helps me be a better father,“ said Parker Tebbetts, who attends classes at the nonprofit with his wife and three-month-old son, Malachai. “It helps me cope with the stresses of being a new parent.“
Tebbets started coming to these classes before his son was born. Some of the classes he attends just with his fiancee, other times he can bring his son.
"If I wasn't a great parent, coming to these classes could prevent something bad from happening to him," said Tebbetts.
Executive director Gillian Roy said, without CPPC referring parents to their programs, parents could miss out on those tips that guide them through the process of raising children. Roy said Androscoggin County has the highest rate of child neglect.
"Before a family gets to that point of abuse, we want to intervene as a community as providers. It's impossible for us to reach every family. We need help with other folks such as the CPPC making referrals to us," said Roy. "Not having the CPPC would be detrimental."
It could leave some parents, with kids already in DHHS care, from reuniting with their kids or becoming better parents.
Roy said that about 30% of abused and neglected children will later abuse their own children, continuing the horrible cycle of abuse.
Need to contact a Child Abuse and Neglect Council from one of Maine's 16 counties? Click here.