Michigan Hides Investigative Reports

This was sent to me.

I am posting it because there are other people who are having issues with the lack of transparency and accountability in Michigan's child welfare industry.

It is the norm for the Bureau of Children and Adult Licensing (BCAL) to do an investigative report on a contracted and licensed child placing agency.

It is the norm to publish the investigative findings.

It is the norm to take down the investigative findings as soon as possible if violations were found to be substantiated.

It is also the norm when one does a FOIA to play hide-and-seek and never produce the reports.

Think of it this way: Would you hang your dirty laundry on a clothes line in your front yard?

I must recognize there there are truly dedicated investigators in BCAL, but even they are constrained by administration and a lack of resources to fully execute their responsibilities of compliance for these child placing agencies.

If some were to be contractually debarred and shut down, it would leave a county without any alternative option to provide for children who really need care because the state functions on a policy of approving no-bid contracts, violating the terms of federal funding agreements and abusing the federal-state relationship.

I do not have all the details on the situation with AAI, yet, but something reminds me of a dear friend of mine.

We are trying to get the word out that AAI (Adoption Associates, Inc.) is still imposing fee increases for 2010, that there are several dissatisfied waiting parents (a friend just filed a grievance against AAI due to being passed over when promised their match would be processed chronologically), and that other frustrated/disgusted parents should post their comments and contact us via:

http://adoptionassociatescomplaints.blogspot.com/2010/03/adoption-associates-inc-complaints.html.

And, apparently AAI continues to retain Varnum Riddering into pressuring DHS/BCAL into restricting public access to all investigative reports into AAI.

We would like all Michigan parents experiencing/who have experienced problems with AAI to send an e-mail to: imc49504@yahoo.com.

Thanks for any suggestions/help you can provide.