How 2 Maine moms regained custody of their children, and where they are today

In 2016, some 380 children exited foster care to reunite with parents who had lost custody of them through child welfare proceedings. Gov. Paul LePage has proposed legislation that would remove reunification as a priority in those proceedings. (Stock photo)

At first, Angela was confused when a Child Protective Services caseworker knocked on her door and started looking into allegations that her two preschool-age children weren’t safe.

She was living with an abusive partner at the time, and he had just been arrested. The caseworker determined Angela, who was then pregnant with her third child, had failed to protect her children from an unsafe person.

Before she realized how serious the situation had become, the state had placed Angela’s two children with their biological father. Angela was in family court and beginning what would become a 2½-year process to regain custody of her children.

She had grown up around domestic violence, substance use and mental health challenges.

“These were not things that I looked at and was like, ‘These are problems,’” said Angela, who was then in her mid-20s. “It had been my experience my entire life at that point. They were very normal.”