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Courts and Crime


LAWSUIT ALLEGES THAT A STATE CONTRACTOR DIDN'T SUPPLY TWO WOMEN WITH ADEQUATE
CHILDCARE SUPPORT

Maine Public | By Robbie Feinberg
Published May 4, 2022 at 6:30 PM EDT
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Two Maine women have filed a lawsuit with the assistance of Maine Equal Justice
alleging that a contractor under a state benefit program failed to provide them
with adequate support services.

Since 2016, Fedcap has administered Maine's ASPIRE program, which provides
services such as job training and education to recipients of the state's
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. But in the complaint,
the two women say that Fedcap failed to promptly make them aware of a program,
called Parents as Scholars, to assist them with costs such as childcare and
transportation while in school.

In the complaint, one of the plaintiffs, Sara Halsey, said that when she entered
the program as a new mother in substance use recovery, Fedcap threatened her
benefits if she didn't find childcare and begin applying for jobs — even though
a medical provider recommended that she delay the job search.

Halsey also alleges that Fedcap failed to submit timely requests to the state so
her childcare costs would be "promptly paid," and also required that she work a
part-time job while in school to get childcare, even though that wasn't a
program requirement. Halsey said that she hopes the suit can help other families
avoid those experiences.

"It's important that we really focus on those supports and resources and make
sure that they're being used appropriately," Halsey said.

Oriana Farnham, an attorney with Maine Equal Justice who represents the women,
said that while education is an option in the ASPIRE program, many parents have
reported to her organization that Fedcap has steered them away from those
options.

"And instead encouraged them to apply for jobs -- often, low-wage jobs that
often don't pay enough to support their families," she said.

In 2019, the Maine Department of Health and Human Services wrote a letter to
Fedcap raising several issues, including that participants did not receive
timely responses to phone calls and emails, and reported a "lack of
professionalism and sensitivity in communication with Fedcap staff."

In response, Fedcap wrote that it "remains committed to serving the communities
of Maine and successfully carrying out the requirements of our contractual
agreements." The organization noted steps it had taken to respond to concerns
and was open to feedback from the state to continue to improve.

Serena Powell, the executive director of Fedcap's Families Forward program in
Maine, didn't directly comment on the lawsuit in an emailed statement, but said
that the program has assisted more than 16,000 individuals and "supports Maine’s
effort to remain in full compliance with federal requirements."





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Robbie Feinberg
rfeinberg@mainepublic.org
See stories by Robbie Feinberg


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