Department of Human
Service Mothers
Service Mothers
| Abused Swan |
Child Protective Services (CPS) is allowing the system to be bogged down by abusive fathers making false reports.
There is no reprimand for this misuse of the organization and the harassing of the mothers. When mothers call
about serious allegations, they are ignored and thought to be seeking revenge against the abuser.
CPS is giving fathers custody of their children when they are emotionally, physically, and sexually abusing their
children. Mothers are being blamed for their children's anger or being said to have psychological disorders without
proof of such disorders.
Stolen by the state
When the father is not involved, single mothers are losing custody of their children. The number of founded child
abuse allegations can be predicted from the number of conditional federal grant and reimbursement fund dollars
needed to balance the state child predicted from the number of conditional federal grant and will be the number
sufficient to generate the federal fund claims reimbursement fund dollars needed to balance the state child
necessary to balance the agency payroll.
by James Roger Brown
Director of The Sociology CenterDirector of The Sociology Center
Stolen By The State
When the father is not involved, single mothers are losing custody of their children. The number of founded child
abuse allegations can be predicted from the number of conditional federal grant and reimbursement fund dollars
needed to balance the state child predicted from the number of conditional federal grant and will be the number
sufficient to generate the federal fund claims reimbursement fund dollars needed to balance the state child
necessary to balance the agency payroll.
by James Roger Brown
Director of The Sociology CenterDirector of The Sociology Center
Stolen By The State
Child Protective Services receives money for every foster parent they license.
They receive money for every child they adopt into a foster home.
If they can prove the child has a disability the agency receives even more money.
They receive money for every child they adopt into a foster home.
If they can prove the child has a disability the agency receives even more money.
Thanksgiving And The Homeless
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Writer unknown.
How many of us have passed a homeless person and thought to themselves, "what did they do to cause
their situation?" How many of us have thought "there but for the grace of God go I?"
Have you ever known a homeless person? Maybe you did and didn't realize it. You also might know
someone who is on the verge of desperation and hopelessness and will become homeless.
I know such a person. I met Debra in an AOL chat room. Debra was a wonderful, intelligent woman who
went from having a good life to having it all taken away. She became a homeless person. She has found a
way out and has given me permission to tell her story.
The story of “Riches to Rags,” said Debra Kowalcyk as she sat down and began telling her story of
unexpectedly slipping into homelessness.
With a once comfortable middle-class life as a recent memory, Deb found herself struggling to stay off the
street after a series of life-altering events sent her family and all she and her husband had worked for
spiraling out of control.
Debra met her husband while both were working at Buick City in Flint MI. John S Kowalcyk was Vietnam
Veteran having worked on Guam repairing B 52’s as an electrician. Before that he had worked on the
Apollo flights and the lunar land rover. “He could fix what ever it was I broke” she said laughing.” I knew
then I “HAD” to keep this guy. They were married in October of 1985 and when Deb found she was
expecting their first child in September of 1986, she quit working. Although this first pregnancy resulted in a
miscarriage, Deb gave birth with “My Steven” by her side to two healthy daughters in 1989 and 1995.
“There was no better place then in his arms; nothing was more wonderful then just watching him hold our
daughters in them.”
Unfortunately, her life was about to change significantly, 11 days short of 14 years of marriage in 1999. Her
husband and the nucleus of the family suffered a heart attack during a medical procedure.
Deb struggled to keep the family intact and fill the void for her girls all the while battling her own mental
anguish. Since she had been out of the workforce for some time, Deb found it difficult to reconnect and
soon exhausted the resources she and her husband had built during their time together.
Selling their home of 17 yrs, Debra relocated to Hudsonville in West Michigan in 2003 searching for a
better place to raise her daughters and possibly find work. Meanwhile, the issues of single parenthood
began to take its toll and eventually she became embroiled in a battle with Child and Family services. She
made steps to demonstrate that she would provide a stable environment for her daughters by successfully
graduating from Medical Assistant training with the thought that this would lead to a more secure position
with benefits and giving her nights and weekends with her children. Although she tried to remedy the
situation, the decision was made to terminate her parental rights causing Debra to sink further into
depression and ultimately fall into homelessness in June 2005.
With her husbands small Gm pension, Debra began facing daily struggles of finding a place to sleep and
food to eat. Her family offered no support so in order to obtain help she relocated to the Grand Rapids
area where resources were somewhat more available. She began cycling through the agencies in the
Grand Rapid’s Heart Side Neighborhood, a mecca for the homeless and destitute in the area. She found a
bed to sleep on at a local shelter and a couple meals a day when lines were not too long. She found solace
through the Catholic Information Center where priests gave spiritual and moral support, but uncertainty
became daily life. To take control she needed help and the courage to ask and ask again.
Even at her lowest point Deb persevered, hopeful that she might find the solution to lift herself out of
disparity. She heard on the street that Section 8 Voucher applications were going to be issued at a local
agency where she also learned information about Genesis Non-Profit Housing Corporation.
Genesis was expanding to further meet its mission to provide a unique type of affordable housing for low-
income special needs persons that would be permanent and independent. Deb heard the buzz surrounding
the HUD-funded expansion at Genesis’ new location - Kingsbury Place Apartments.
Genesis began taking applications for Kingsbury the following week. “They open the door at 9 am. I was
there at 7:30 am and was 4th in line.” At first review was rejected based on some back payments owed to
utility companies. She appealed their decision and with the help of Genesis staff, she resolved her previous
debt and cleared the way for her approval.
Kingsbury is a truly unique development. Adopting Genesis’ approach to affordable housing, coupled with
enhanced 24-hour support services for residents and a Green building design garnering the development
the first grant from the Michigan Green Communities program make Kingsbury one of a kind. The Green
design incorporates numerous energy management and environmentally friendly features that lower
residents’ utility costs and provide a clean living environment to disabled residents who often have more
reactions to pollutants and environmental contaminants.
As for Debra - “This (Kingsbury) is where I belong, this is home!” Kingsbury has once again given her a
place to call her own, a sense of confidence, and the ability to look into the future. With her housing issues
resolved, there are prospects of a new job, friends and community ahead. There is also the daily prayer of
hope, that one day her daughters will be a part of her life and future as well.
As you sit around your Thanksgiving table giving thanks for family, friends, and all your blessings, please
remember Debra and those in similar situations in your prayers. Give thanks for all the thousands of non-
profit and religious organizations that find ways to provide for the needy. Maybe today you can find in your
heart a way to give of yourself to volunteer or support those organizations in your city, county or state so
they can help others, like Debra find their way out of the darkness of poverty.
Matthew 23
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Writer unknown.
How many of us have passed a homeless person and thought to themselves, "what did they do to cause
their situation?" How many of us have thought "there but for the grace of God go I?"
Have you ever known a homeless person? Maybe you did and didn't realize it. You also might know
someone who is on the verge of desperation and hopelessness and will become homeless.
I know such a person. I met Debra in an AOL chat room. Debra was a wonderful, intelligent woman who
went from having a good life to having it all taken away. She became a homeless person. She has found a
way out and has given me permission to tell her story.
The story of “Riches to Rags,” said Debra Kowalcyk as she sat down and began telling her story of
unexpectedly slipping into homelessness.
With a once comfortable middle-class life as a recent memory, Deb found herself struggling to stay off the
street after a series of life-altering events sent her family and all she and her husband had worked for
spiraling out of control.
Debra met her husband while both were working at Buick City in Flint MI. John S Kowalcyk was Vietnam
Veteran having worked on Guam repairing B 52’s as an electrician. Before that he had worked on the
Apollo flights and the lunar land rover. “He could fix what ever it was I broke” she said laughing.” I knew
then I “HAD” to keep this guy. They were married in October of 1985 and when Deb found she was
expecting their first child in September of 1986, she quit working. Although this first pregnancy resulted in a
miscarriage, Deb gave birth with “My Steven” by her side to two healthy daughters in 1989 and 1995.
“There was no better place then in his arms; nothing was more wonderful then just watching him hold our
daughters in them.”
Unfortunately, her life was about to change significantly, 11 days short of 14 years of marriage in 1999. Her
husband and the nucleus of the family suffered a heart attack during a medical procedure.
Deb struggled to keep the family intact and fill the void for her girls all the while battling her own mental
anguish. Since she had been out of the workforce for some time, Deb found it difficult to reconnect and
soon exhausted the resources she and her husband had built during their time together.
Selling their home of 17 yrs, Debra relocated to Hudsonville in West Michigan in 2003 searching for a
better place to raise her daughters and possibly find work. Meanwhile, the issues of single parenthood
began to take its toll and eventually she became embroiled in a battle with Child and Family services. She
made steps to demonstrate that she would provide a stable environment for her daughters by successfully
graduating from Medical Assistant training with the thought that this would lead to a more secure position
with benefits and giving her nights and weekends with her children. Although she tried to remedy the
situation, the decision was made to terminate her parental rights causing Debra to sink further into
depression and ultimately fall into homelessness in June 2005.
With her husbands small Gm pension, Debra began facing daily struggles of finding a place to sleep and
food to eat. Her family offered no support so in order to obtain help she relocated to the Grand Rapids
area where resources were somewhat more available. She began cycling through the agencies in the
Grand Rapid’s Heart Side Neighborhood, a mecca for the homeless and destitute in the area. She found a
bed to sleep on at a local shelter and a couple meals a day when lines were not too long. She found solace
through the Catholic Information Center where priests gave spiritual and moral support, but uncertainty
became daily life. To take control she needed help and the courage to ask and ask again.
Even at her lowest point Deb persevered, hopeful that she might find the solution to lift herself out of
disparity. She heard on the street that Section 8 Voucher applications were going to be issued at a local
agency where she also learned information about Genesis Non-Profit Housing Corporation.
Genesis was expanding to further meet its mission to provide a unique type of affordable housing for low-
income special needs persons that would be permanent and independent. Deb heard the buzz surrounding
the HUD-funded expansion at Genesis’ new location - Kingsbury Place Apartments.
Genesis began taking applications for Kingsbury the following week. “They open the door at 9 am. I was
there at 7:30 am and was 4th in line.” At first review was rejected based on some back payments owed to
utility companies. She appealed their decision and with the help of Genesis staff, she resolved her previous
debt and cleared the way for her approval.
Kingsbury is a truly unique development. Adopting Genesis’ approach to affordable housing, coupled with
enhanced 24-hour support services for residents and a Green building design garnering the development
the first grant from the Michigan Green Communities program make Kingsbury one of a kind. The Green
design incorporates numerous energy management and environmentally friendly features that lower
residents’ utility costs and provide a clean living environment to disabled residents who often have more
reactions to pollutants and environmental contaminants.
As for Debra - “This (Kingsbury) is where I belong, this is home!” Kingsbury has once again given her a
place to call her own, a sense of confidence, and the ability to look into the future. With her housing issues
resolved, there are prospects of a new job, friends and community ahead. There is also the daily prayer of
hope, that one day her daughters will be a part of her life and future as well.
As you sit around your Thanksgiving table giving thanks for family, friends, and all your blessings, please
remember Debra and those in similar situations in your prayers. Give thanks for all the thousands of non-
profit and religious organizations that find ways to provide for the needy. Maybe today you can find in your
heart a way to give of yourself to volunteer or support those organizations in your city, county or state so
they can help others, like Debra find their way out of the darkness of poverty.
Matthew 23
Shawn D. Lewis/ The Detroit News
Madison Heights— More than 200 new child welfare workers will be sworn in today by Gov. Rick Snyder and
Department of Human Services Director Maura D. Corrigan in response to federally sanctioned deadlines for
reform.
The department was ordered to fix its foster care system after being sued in 2008. A 200-page progress
report from a court-appointed monitor in December described a system fraught with overburdened
caseworkers, too few foster homes and children languishing in foster care without the hope of adoption.
In all, 723 new workers have been hired, even as spending cuts throughout the state budget are being
finalized between Snyder and the Legislature.
"We're filling the new positions both with new hires and through vacancies left by people who accepted early-
out retirement packages under Gov. Jennifer Granholm," said Christina Fecher, a DHS spokeswoman. "In
Gov. Snyder's proposed budget is included $70 million to reform the child welfare system, which will go toward
the new hires."
Fecher said the new hires will earn between $18.53 and $27.44 an hour.
But the director of a Detroit family advocacy center is concerned about whether those new hires are being
deployed wisely.
"It's a step in the right direction, but I am concerned about the focus being on the kids already in foster care,
rather than preventing kids from entering into care," said Vivek Sankaran, director of the Detroit Center for
Family Advocacy in New Center. "Funding for prevention workers is being cut every year."
Sankaran, a University of Michigan law professor, said he's also concerned about the training of the new staff.
"I'm really worried that we're introducing some people fresh out of social work school who will be working on
cases that are complicated, messy and difficult, and without intense supervision and close training, mistakes
will be made," he said.
DHS hired more than 700 Michigan college graduates following recruitment events earlier this year.
One of the new recruits to be sworn in is a Bloomfield Township woman who has a master's degree in
psychology.
"My whole focus is on how I can help motivate and empower families," said Stephanie Crider, who began her
job May 16. The governor also plans to sign bills to speed the adoption process for kids in foster care.
The formal swearing-in ceremony begins at 9 a.m. at the Club Venetian Banquet Hall and Conference Center,
29310 John R, in Madison Heights.
slewis@detnews.com
(313) 222-2296
From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20110523/METRO02/105230323/Hundreds-join-Michigan’
s-child-welfare-worker-ranks#ixzz1NDchoTzE
Mother versus Michigan Because of Daughter’s Medications
Posted on 23 May 2011.
Maryanne Godbolo’s frustration over her daughter’s physical impairment led to a 12-hour standoff when
police officers came to take her daughter away. She also lashed out on what Godbolo considers to be
inappropriate state interference on her child’s medical care.
When the 12-hour standoff ended, Godbolo was in handcuffs and her child was placed in a children’s
psychiatric hospital.
Godbolo is in a battle with the Department of Human Services of Michigan over her right as a mother to
determine whether or not her daughter should continue receiving an anti-psychotic drug called Risperdal. The
agency insists that it is one of the government’s responsibilities to protect children’s welfare even if it is
against their parents.
Godbolo refuses to trust doctors as she blames them for some of her child’s medical problems. She says that
some of her daughter’s illnesses could be due to physician negligence and possible complications from
childhood immunizations. She, however, did not name her daughter’s doctors and did not provide the press a
copy of her daughter’s medical records.
Godbolo insists that her daughter responds better to treatments that do not include the anti-psychotic drug
Risperdal. On the other hand, the state firmly stands by its belief that without the ideal medical attention and
treatment, Ariana (Godbolo’s daughter) is at risk.
Ariana stayed in a psychiatric facility for a month following her mother’s confrontation with the police and is
now currently staying with her aunt, Godbolo’s sister.
http://yourdailynewsfix.com/mother-versus-michigan-because-of-daughters-medications/271698/
Posted on 23 May 2011.
Maryanne Godbolo’s frustration over her daughter’s physical impairment led to a 12-hour standoff when
police officers came to take her daughter away. She also lashed out on what Godbolo considers to be
inappropriate state interference on her child’s medical care.
When the 12-hour standoff ended, Godbolo was in handcuffs and her child was placed in a children’s
psychiatric hospital.
Godbolo is in a battle with the Department of Human Services of Michigan over her right as a mother to
determine whether or not her daughter should continue receiving an anti-psychotic drug called Risperdal. The
agency insists that it is one of the government’s responsibilities to protect children’s welfare even if it is
against their parents.
Godbolo refuses to trust doctors as she blames them for some of her child’s medical problems. She says that
some of her daughter’s illnesses could be due to physician negligence and possible complications from
childhood immunizations. She, however, did not name her daughter’s doctors and did not provide the press a
copy of her daughter’s medical records.
Godbolo insists that her daughter responds better to treatments that do not include the anti-psychotic drug
Risperdal. On the other hand, the state firmly stands by its belief that without the ideal medical attention and
treatment, Ariana (Godbolo’s daughter) is at risk.
Ariana stayed in a psychiatric facility for a month following her mother’s confrontation with the police and is
now currently staying with her aunt, Godbolo’s sister.
http://yourdailynewsfix.com/mother-versus-michigan-because-of-daughters-medications/271698/
States should stop looking at foster children as a revenue source
By Kippi Clausen and Maureen Farrell-Stevenson
Posted: 04/29/2011 01:00:00 AM MDT
Dominic was removed from his mother's care three months after his premature birth. He was born four months
early, crack addicted, and with congenital hydrocephalus. He spent the rest of his young life in and out of
foster-care placements. While in one of his first foster home placements, he was emotionally, physically and
sexually abused. At age five he began experiencing grand mal seizures, which have continued into his adult
life. At the age of twenty Dominic began experiencing vision problems and at twenty-one was diagnosed with a
rare genetic eye disorder that has left him legally blind.
Somewhere, during Dominic's time in foster care, the state of Colorado applied for Social Security disability
benefits on his behalf, then used the funds to reimburse itself for his foster care costs. After he ""aged-out" of
foster care and was on his own, he was told his social security benefits would not continue because the state
had seriously mishandled his funds.
His local mental health agency fought for reinstatement and this time Dominic received the checks directly. He
is now able to pay rent to the transitional living program where he resides, pay for his monthly medications, put
nutritious meals on his table and he has begun a plan to repair his dismal credit history, which includes over
$5,000 in debt he accrued trying to survive without the aid of any benefits.
This story illustrates how these benefits can be a lifeline for these young adults. But across the country, states
are intercepting close to $200 million annually in social security survivor and disability benefits that foster
children like Dominic are entitled to. Frequently, states apply for these benefits without even telling the children
they're eligible. For the states, this money is pocket change, but for the kids it's the difference between
self-sufficiency and a life on the streets.
Rather than create financially independent young adults who can stand on their own when they age out of the
system, states are helping to create impoverished youth who frequently end up needing publicly supported
shelter, job training, medical care, clothes and other basic necessities.
In addition, foster children are increasingly becoming the victims of identity theft, because their personal
information passes through many hands, increasing the chances that someone will open an account in their
name or use their Social Security number (SSN). Many foster children leave care with ruined credit histories -
saddled with defaulted car loans, mortgages and credit cards they never had.
A new report from the Children's Advocacy Institute at the University of San Diego School of Law and First Star,
"The Fleecing of Foster Children: How We Confiscate Their Assets and Undermine Their Financial Security,"
highlights these callous and counterproductive practices, and recommends legislation to protect the 30,000
teenagers a year who age out of foster care.
A bill before the Colorado Legislature and two bills in Congress would give these kids a better chance at
self-sufficiency.
The Federal Foster Youth Self-Support Act would ensure that states determine if foster kids are eligible for
benefits, and then use the funds for their needs, rather than as a source of revenue. By safeguarding benefits,
the state would create a basic safety net for children when they age out of care. States would also have to
create "Individual Development Accounts" to help these children secure housing, education or job training.
In Colorado, proposed legislation, supported by Protections for Youth In Foster Care Colorado, would end the
use of social security numbers as an identifier and require that all foster children have their credit histories
cleared of inaccuracies prior to leaving state care. A similar federal proposal has been filed in Congress.
It is important to note that these bills carry few real costs, and in fact, would result in long-term savings. The
changes will make it much easier for foster kids to get on their feet financially and become productive members
of society and the economy. States would forgo the miniscule amounts of money they are grabbing from foster
kids, but recoup the funds many times over when these kids get jobs, pay taxes, and stay out of trouble. The
foster care system never intended to crush children's dreams, but that is happening every day. Restoring
sanity to a system that trips up kids like Dominic will inject true family values into foster care agencies that need
to be reminded whose interests they represent.
Kippi Clausen is director of policy and population-based strategies at Mile High United Way. Maureen
Farrell-Stevenson is president of the National Association of Counsel for Children based in Aurora.
By Kippi Clausen and Maureen Farrell-Stevenson
Posted: 04/29/2011 01:00:00 AM MDT
Dominic was removed from his mother's care three months after his premature birth. He was born four months
early, crack addicted, and with congenital hydrocephalus. He spent the rest of his young life in and out of
foster-care placements. While in one of his first foster home placements, he was emotionally, physically and
sexually abused. At age five he began experiencing grand mal seizures, which have continued into his adult
life. At the age of twenty Dominic began experiencing vision problems and at twenty-one was diagnosed with a
rare genetic eye disorder that has left him legally blind.
Somewhere, during Dominic's time in foster care, the state of Colorado applied for Social Security disability
benefits on his behalf, then used the funds to reimburse itself for his foster care costs. After he ""aged-out" of
foster care and was on his own, he was told his social security benefits would not continue because the state
had seriously mishandled his funds.
His local mental health agency fought for reinstatement and this time Dominic received the checks directly. He
is now able to pay rent to the transitional living program where he resides, pay for his monthly medications, put
nutritious meals on his table and he has begun a plan to repair his dismal credit history, which includes over
$5,000 in debt he accrued trying to survive without the aid of any benefits.
This story illustrates how these benefits can be a lifeline for these young adults. But across the country, states
are intercepting close to $200 million annually in social security survivor and disability benefits that foster
children like Dominic are entitled to. Frequently, states apply for these benefits without even telling the children
they're eligible. For the states, this money is pocket change, but for the kids it's the difference between
self-sufficiency and a life on the streets.
Rather than create financially independent young adults who can stand on their own when they age out of the
system, states are helping to create impoverished youth who frequently end up needing publicly supported
shelter, job training, medical care, clothes and other basic necessities.
In addition, foster children are increasingly becoming the victims of identity theft, because their personal
information passes through many hands, increasing the chances that someone will open an account in their
name or use their Social Security number (SSN). Many foster children leave care with ruined credit histories -
saddled with defaulted car loans, mortgages and credit cards they never had.
A new report from the Children's Advocacy Institute at the University of San Diego School of Law and First Star,
"The Fleecing of Foster Children: How We Confiscate Their Assets and Undermine Their Financial Security,"
highlights these callous and counterproductive practices, and recommends legislation to protect the 30,000
teenagers a year who age out of foster care.
A bill before the Colorado Legislature and two bills in Congress would give these kids a better chance at
self-sufficiency.
The Federal Foster Youth Self-Support Act would ensure that states determine if foster kids are eligible for
benefits, and then use the funds for their needs, rather than as a source of revenue. By safeguarding benefits,
the state would create a basic safety net for children when they age out of care. States would also have to
create "Individual Development Accounts" to help these children secure housing, education or job training.
In Colorado, proposed legislation, supported by Protections for Youth In Foster Care Colorado, would end the
use of social security numbers as an identifier and require that all foster children have their credit histories
cleared of inaccuracies prior to leaving state care. A similar federal proposal has been filed in Congress.
It is important to note that these bills carry few real costs, and in fact, would result in long-term savings. The
changes will make it much easier for foster kids to get on their feet financially and become productive members
of society and the economy. States would forgo the miniscule amounts of money they are grabbing from foster
kids, but recoup the funds many times over when these kids get jobs, pay taxes, and stay out of trouble. The
foster care system never intended to crush children's dreams, but that is happening every day. Restoring
sanity to a system that trips up kids like Dominic will inject true family values into foster care agencies that need
to be reminded whose interests they represent.
Kippi Clausen is director of policy and population-based strategies at Mile High United Way. Maureen
Farrell-Stevenson is president of the National Association of Counsel for Children based in Aurora.
Representatives of the Michigan Department of Human Services, a New York child advocacy
group, and a federal court monitor have been preparing for a periodic progress report in a 2008 settlement
designed to better care for thousands of Michigan children.
The state has repeatedly missed crucial benchmarks.
Earlier this week, U.S. District Judge Nancy Edmunds scheduled a hearing Monday to consider a "modified
consent decree." Details were not immediately available, but the hearing may signal a drastic change. In
December, the state faced the possibility of a contempt of court ruling after it repeatedly failed to meet the
conditions of the agreement that began with a 2006 lawsuit by New York-based Children's Rights.
The group criticized the state for what it described as life-threatening poor care for children. Years of budget
cuts, the loss of experienced social service workers and the state's failure to tap into federal funding
contributed to the crisis, according to the suit.
But since the beginning of the year and a change in leadership at DHS -- it is now headed by Maura Corrigan,
a former Michigan Supreme Court justice -- caseloads have shrunk, fewer children are waiting for adoption
and new technology for field and office workers will help track cases and address critical data gaps.
"What has been accomplished since January is monumental," said Janet Reynolds, executive director of
Michigan Federation for Children and Families, which represents private, nonprofit foster care and adoption
agencies.
The 2008 agreement, though well-intentioned, set standards too high for a state in financial crisis, said Jack
Kresnak, president and CEO of Michigan's Children and a former Free Press reporter.
"Scaling back the requirements will mean we might be able to meet them. ... We need to put this behind us," he
said.
Contact Robin Erb: 313-222-2708 or rerb@freepress.com
http://www.freep.com/article/20110715/NEWS06/107150370/Judge-may-relax-child-welfare-system-overhaul-tim
etable
group, and a federal court monitor have been preparing for a periodic progress report in a 2008 settlement
designed to better care for thousands of Michigan children.
The state has repeatedly missed crucial benchmarks.
Earlier this week, U.S. District Judge Nancy Edmunds scheduled a hearing Monday to consider a "modified
consent decree." Details were not immediately available, but the hearing may signal a drastic change. In
December, the state faced the possibility of a contempt of court ruling after it repeatedly failed to meet the
conditions of the agreement that began with a 2006 lawsuit by New York-based Children's Rights.
The group criticized the state for what it described as life-threatening poor care for children. Years of budget
cuts, the loss of experienced social service workers and the state's failure to tap into federal funding
contributed to the crisis, according to the suit.
But since the beginning of the year and a change in leadership at DHS -- it is now headed by Maura Corrigan,
a former Michigan Supreme Court justice -- caseloads have shrunk, fewer children are waiting for adoption
and new technology for field and office workers will help track cases and address critical data gaps.
"What has been accomplished since January is monumental," said Janet Reynolds, executive director of
Michigan Federation for Children and Families, which represents private, nonprofit foster care and adoption
agencies.
The 2008 agreement, though well-intentioned, set standards too high for a state in financial crisis, said Jack
Kresnak, president and CEO of Michigan's Children and a former Free Press reporter.
"Scaling back the requirements will mean we might be able to meet them. ... We need to put this behind us," he
said.
Contact Robin Erb: 313-222-2708 or rerb@freepress.com
http://www.freep.com/article/20110715/NEWS06/107150370/Judge-may-relax-child-welfare-system-overhaul-tim
etable
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