Giving shelter

That a single family’s concerns about Shaw House could generate weeks of community discussion and debate shows the difficult position Shaw House has placed itself in. To continue to operate with anything like widespread support in Bangor, it needs an extraordinary education campaign and a renewed commitment to helping families during their crises.

This is not a question of blame. The people associated with Shaw House have accepted an extremely valuable role in the community. They have tried to offer a calm place in a time of confusion, frustration and anger for a teen-ager. Their ability to direct teens to state help could make a huge difference. But they cannot think that the oft-repeated response to critics that Shaw House “is better than the streets” adequately addresses real concerns from parents.

Sure, Shaw House is better than the streets. Under some conditions, jail is better, too. That’s not the point. When family members are hurting, they need some reassurance that they will be able to reconnect with the runaway teen. To be clear, this does not apply to parents who physically or sexually abuse their children. The law already is certain on what actions need to be taken under such circumstances. But when a teen is suffering from depression, the use of alcohol or drugs, parents ought to have the ability to be involved, and it is any safe house’s responsibility to do everything possible to help that happen.

That may mean advocating for a change in Maine statutes. In the late 1970s, Maine decriminalized status offenses, vagrancy-type prohibitions that allowed law-enforcement officials to pick up teens on charges they might not apply to adults. This change on the whole was an improvement, but it left conscientious parents with few options to help a runaway son or daughter.

The debate over Shaw House has drawn attention to what is commonly called a CHINS law, which stands for Children in Need of Supervision. There are several versions of CHINS. It’s not important that Maine adopt wholesale any other state’s plan, but rather devise one that addresses a concern that rises regularly: a lever to put caring parents and teenagers on a track toward understanding and reconciliation.

Shaw House, by being the subject of the recent debate, helps bring this statewide issue into clearer focus. It can help further by pushing for legal and practical changes to help heal families.