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If you are concerned about a child being neglected or abused, call Maine’s 24-hour hotline at 800-452-1999 or 711 to speak with a child protective specialist. Calls may be made anonymously. For more information, visit maine.gov/dhhs/ocfs/cw/reporting_abuse.
I believe that homeschooling doesn’t have enough oversight from authorities. As we have been horrified by the recent death of a homeschooled child, we should reflect on why no one noticed.
Public school employees are mandated to report any suspected abuse. Public school is the only place a child is required by law to appear on a regular basis. Abusers often isolate their victims, and homeschoolers can be held prisoner in their own home and no one is the wiser. Injuries cannot be reported when no one has laid eyes on the child.
It’s not unreasonable to ask whether Braxtyn Smith and his sibling ever actually had any schooling at all. Some neighbors did not even know that there were children living in that trailer.
Donna Twombly
Bangor
