Emergency Assistance (EA) is a program run by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). EA helps children and their families with some emergencies. The program does not cover all emergencies. You have to have children in your home, but you do not have to be on TANF, to get EA. If you qualify, EA will pay certain basic needs. For example, if you and your child have just been evicted from your home and you don't have the money to pay the security deposit on a new apartment, you may be able to get EA to help pay the deposit.

Decide what you want to do. If you do not want to stay, but you need more time to move, call your landlord or the landlord’s attorney to see if you can settle the case. Your landlord must take several steps to legally evict you. These steps take a minimum of two weeks beyond the move-out date listed in the first notice. So, if you need more time, don't sell yourself short. If you are offering to save your landlord the expense of a court hearing by settling early, you should be able to get some extra time for that. Before you agree to a date, read more below under "What if I plan to move out but I need more time?"and "How much time do I have?"

Use this worksheet to see if you qualify for the Veteran's Property Tax Exemption. 1. Are you a Maine Resident? Yes. Go to Question 2. No. You cannot take this exemption. 2. Are you a resident of the municipality where you are claiming the exemption? Yes. Go to Question 3. No. You cannot take this exemption

Tax credits for people with low incomes who own their own homes or pay rent.

Vous pouvez déposer une pétition a trois personnes (également appelé pétition a trois parties ) en cour de district. En vertu de la loi du Maine sur la protection de l'enfance, trois personnes ou plus peuvent déposer une Pétition de Protection d’un Enfant, demandant à la Cour d'ordonner le DHHS ou un tiers en tant que parent, afin d’assurer la garde et de fournir des services à cet enfant.

Êtes-vous préoccupés par la sécurité et la santé de l'enfant que vous aimez? Conformément à la loi du Maine, les parents biologiques ou adoptifs d'un enfant sont les tuteurs naturels de l'enfant. Les tuteurs naturels sont responsables des soins de l'enfant, de sa garde, son contrôle, ses services et ses gains jusqu'à ce que l'enfant atteigne l'âge de 18 ans.

بموجب قانون ولاية مين، الوالدان البيولوجيان أو المتبنّيان للولد هما الوصيان الطبيعيان على هذا الولد

What is the Maine Home Court Act? The Home Court Act is a Maine law passed in 2016. It is meant to prevent more than one case about the same child from happening in different courts. Courts use the Jurisdictional Affidavit to find out about all of the cases involving a child. They do this to make sure they are following the Act.

This guide is the first in a series about what happens when DHHS gets involved with families. This guide covers the very first steps in the Maine Child Protection process - our other guides cover later parts of this process. If you are in a situation where DHHS is becoming involved with your family, start here. Why has DHHS contacted me? DHHS has gotten a report about possible abuse or neglect to your child.

Yes! Usually to get a Protection from Abuse (PFA) Order, the abuser and survivor need to be family or household members or dating partners. Pine Tree Legal Assistance helps survivors of sexual assault get PFA orders across the state of Maine. Contact your local sexual assault advocacy center to connect to our services!

How do I know if my child’s sexualized behavior is normal or a sign of abuse? Some child sexualized behavior is normal. Other behavior may be a sign of abuse. Here are some resources that may help you know the difference: 

What is consent? Consent is when you give permission for something to happen. Consent is an important part of sex. A person’s consent to a sexual activity should be: voluntary ongoing informed enthusiastic not assumed Consent to one activity or in one situation does not mean you automatically consent to a different activity or a different situation. When a sexual activity happens without consent, the law often considers it sexual assault.

en español What happens if I move and do not take all my property with me? If you move out without taking your property with you, you could lose it. So take all your things with you when you leave if you can. Don't leave things behind to pick up later. If this is not possible, Maine law does offer some protections.

Is There Any Way I Can Get Back My Personal Property If It Is Being Held By My Landlord Or Someone Else? Yes. If someone has taken your personal property without your permission, you can get a court order that allows you to get the property back. Do I Have to Have A Lawyer To Get A Court Order? No. You may represent yourself.

Important Notice: Doing your own court case without a lawyer is not always a good idea. Before going ahead, you may want to ask for advice and support from your nearest domestic violence project. And we suggest that you read Protection from Abuse: How the Law Works in Maine. To get your case into court, you must fill out and file certain court forms. Here is a list of the forms you will need to get your case started. 

The Maine form for providing information to for serving a Protection from Abuse order

This is a sample motion you can use to ask the court to waive the home study in an adoption case

The Maine court form for appealing a decision in an eviction (forcible entry and detainer) case

The Maine court form to petition for the appointment of a temporary guardian for minor

This is a sample Affidavit of Friend for a Maine Three Party Child Protection action. Go here to learn more about how Three-Party Child Protection Petitions work in Maine.