An Act To Support At-Risk Families By Establishing The Community Navigator Pilot Program

LD 1261 establishes a 2-year pilot program in Maine's Department of Health and Human Services to fund four "community navigators" through contracts with child abuse prevention councils. The program directly supports families who were reported for suspected child abuse or neglect but were "screened out" (not investigated) by the department, connecting them to community services like housing, health care, and job training. It also requires navigators to educate mandated reporters (such as teachers and social workers) on how to refer families to these services and shift their role from solely reporting to actively supporting families. The department will provide $90,000 annually per navigator position, with contracts awarded by December 1, 2025, and the program set to end January 30, 2028.