Thursday, March 21, 2013

Court Monitor Says Safety Still A Concern For Michigan's Foster Care System


The Children's Rights case has to do with the care of children under the auspices of the State.  Little to nothing has been done to address the poor, if any, mental health and education services to this population of youth, but, bet your bottom dollar, Michigan is billing for it.
Just a point of clarification, foster parents are not eligible for the SNAP (food stamps) as they already receive funding feed and clothe the child.  This is one of the reasons Michigan was hit with HHS audit on its pathetic administration of its SNAP and TANF programs because it supplements foster parents.
DHS Director Maura Corrigan continues to cover up a culture of fraud, waste and abuse in child welfare by publicly shifting the blame on the most vulnerable of society.  
I will wager that Michigan will not get from under this consent decree anytime before 2020.


A court appointed monitor says Michigan still needs to do more to keep kids in foster care safe.
The state was sued six years ago over the treatment of kids in the foster care system and a federal court is still keeping tabs on its progress. The state's Department of Human Services and the advocacy group Children's Rights were in court today to talk about the latest report.  
The report says there have been some significant improvements, most of them made in the last two years. But Michigan still misses the mark on keeping kids who have already been abused or neglected safe in their new homes.
Sara Bartosz, the lead attorney for Children's Rights, says over twelve months, 260 kids under state care were found to be abused or neglected.
“That comes out to almost a child every single business day of the year.
“Things are moving in many areas in a positive direction, she says. “But again, you can't be satisfied until kids are basically safe and their well-being is being assured. And so there are areas where this team, with all the hard work they're doing, needs to focus even more energy."
The report also found more than a quarter of kids in the system don't get monthly visits by a caseworker.
The court appointed monitor will continue to follow the state's progress for the next few years.

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