- An audit a non-partisan state agency reveals shortfalls in Michigan's welfare system, leaving lawmakers with questions and foster care advocates with possible answers.
- Michigan Department of Health and Human Services reports over 10,000 children are currently in the foster care system.
- Video show why state lawmakers are concerned and how foster advocates are pushing for change with state program.
"We have so many children county to county in our child welfare-foster care system that need eyes on them and that is why CASA was born."
Rachel Swedberg is one of many advocates working in the foster care system as Court Appointed Special Advocates or CASA to make sure children are seen and heard.
WATCH INTERVIEW WITH EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR RACHEL SWEDBERG
"We see the children 7 to 10 days, Requirements for case workers are once a month, the requirements for our children's attorneys are once a quarter," Swedberg said.
But Swedberg says the welfare system may not provide the manpower or services to sufficiently support children.
"We need know that many of our systems have systemic issues and they are not perfect and there is work that is needed. Continued work to be done," Swedberg said.
And she saw that in an Office of Auditors General performance audit of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services or MDHHS.
The report noted that the department did not conduct a face-to-face visit to 1/3 of children placed in the state or Michigan children placed out of the state within the documented 30 days. It also the department didn't take or reported late supervision reports for children placed in other states.
"We have a duty for the most vulnerable children that our placed in our care in the state are cared for and that's not happening, Thompson said.
Jamie Thompson, member of the Families, Children and Seniors house committee says she wants to look into how the department can better support our children.
"To talk about these things to show the transparency, are these programs working, are they not working," Thompson said.
Swedberg says she has seen improvement from the department but agrees that no one agency can support Michigan's children alone.
"When we can collaborate together, I think we are able to fill some of these gaps that are happening because so much pressure is on one individual agency," Swedberg said.
In a statement, the Department said:
This audit on the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children indicates the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) sufficiently met the requirements in most cases when it comes to ensuring the safe placement of children across state lines and complying with required time frames for certain interstate placement activities. In some cases, timeliness was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic which caused delays in obtaining clearances, meeting face-to-face and accessing local services to assist with and complete the required home studies needed to issue placement decisions for some cases. Timeliness of placement decisions was also impacted by a variety of factors outside the control of the Michigan ICPC office, including delays in out-of-state processes involving home studies and required steps which need to be taken by potential caregivers.
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