As governor, my goal will be to not lose a single child to abuse or neglect. There is no legitimate reason for this to happen. I will conduct an exhaustive nationwide search for the best people to head up Child Protective Services. We must spare no expense to have the best CPS agency in the nation. We will increase the number of staff and provide all of the support that they need. The state government’s failure to see to it that all of our children are properly cared for is a prime example of putting politics before people. The health and safety of our children must come before all else. When we err, we must always err on the side of the child.
On May 17, 2025, four year old Jasper Smith of Lewiston shot and killed himself with his stepfather’s handgun while in his home. The above article states that DHHS staff had been to the home seven times and had found nothing wrong. I cannot express in words how poorly DHHS responded to reports of neglect of this little boy. As the person responsible for the actions and inactions of the executive branch of government, Governor Mills has his blood on her hands.
Every time we learn of a child who dies due to the failure of DHHS, I will post it here.