Maine Division Director |
Mark Millar
As the founding director of the Maine Division in 1986, Mark Millar has seen his team grow to be the largest in the Casey Family Services organization, offering a full continuum of permanency services. His career began in 1976 as a child protective worker for the State of Maine, where he served for nearly eight years, including three as a child protective supervisor. He has lectured on child abuse and neglect for the University of New England and the University of Southern Maine. In October 2004, Millar was honored with a National Leadership Award given by the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative.
What are the pressing concerns for children and families in Maine?
We need to ensure that all of the children who enter Maine’s child welfare system have a permanent family connection when they leave, whether that’s through reunification, kinship care, adoption, or lifelong connections with a foster family. These connections are not always in place for every youth. Like many states, Maine is in a time of budget constraints, and, once again, child welfare is in jeopardy. Services to children and families are one of the first items cut because children have no voice.
What can practitioners do to ensure that children and families are heard?
We need to act as child advocates and develop promising practices that meet the needs of those who are vulnerable. We need to deliver quality services and demonstrate their effectiveness to the legislature, as well as their cost-effectiveness.
What role is Casey Family Services playing in Maine?
Our unique position as part of a foundation allows us to draw upon the lessons learned from our direct services and to provide technical assistance to the state on how to ensure and improve services to Maine’s most vulnerable families. In addition to our own direct service work, we’ve been able to collaborate with the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative in developing its School to Career program so we’re bringing program innovations to Maine.
In addition to the Portland office, you’ve expanded your capacity with an office in Bangor.
Personally, I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to open the office in Bangor, which has reminded me of my early days at Casey Family Services when we were just starting out. The site houses a small staff, and it’s making an impact. The team provides post-adoption services, which is a cost-effective way to help families achieve permanence. Our Bangor site recently started offering other permanency-focused services, as well, including foster care.
How is the community responding to your efforts to support permanence?
We’re taking a collaborative approach. In Maine, we are fortunate to have leadership at the Department of Health and Human Services that is committed to reform, which will put the state in a better place to support children in building the connections they need to live productive and happy lives.
A benefit of living and working in a small state, at least in terms of population, is that collaboration can really make a difference. When people work together toward a common goal, they are able to get things done. We trust each other and accept accountability; there’s a great commitment in trying to help children and families.