A high profile plan to create a separate Child and Family Services agency in Maine was among the casualties of the legislative session.
The proposal received approval from the Maine Senate in early April, but failed to get a vote in the House before lawmakers adjourned last week.
The measure would have pulled the agency from the larger Department of Health and Human Services. The office's child welfare division has faced significant criticism in recent years following investigations into several recent child deaths.
Supporters argued that breaking off the agency may be the only way to improve outcomes. But the Mills administration expressed concerns that it could duplicate certain administrative functions and erode some supports for children and families.
