State Rep. Jamie Thompson today said findings from a new audit report into a state Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) program responsible for child placement and care provide more proof that Michigan should be better prioritizing child welfare.

The review from the nonpartisan state Auditor General’s office (OAG) examined the effectiveness of Michigan’s work within the Interstate Compact On the Placement of Children. The compact was created to ensure cooperation among states and that a child who is placed across state lines receives the best opportunity to be put in suitable environments with people or institutions that have appropriate qualifications and resources available.

The audit concluded that DHHS must improve its timeliness, performance, documentation and monitoring of caseworkers’ face-to-face visits and supervision reports for interstate placed children. The recommendations include providing more detailed supervision reports for placed children and ensuring timely completion of home study reports and placement decisions.

“Verification and reporting on the part of the state through face-to-face contact with placed children is critical to ensuring their safety,” said Thompson, who serves on the House Families, Children and Seniors Committee as well as the House Health Policy Committee. “If the state isn’t keeping up with its verification procedures, how do we know Michigan kids or children coming into Michigan are in good, nurturing situations and not in danger?

“Since I began serving families in Monroe and Wayne counties, I have been consistently sickened by reports that show we are cutting corners or falling short with looking out for children who are in the care of the state. These kids deserve better. It is imperative that the Legislature examine ways to improve our state’s child welfare system and speak with DHHS officials to confirm procedures are working as intended so that we are protecting the health and well-being of our future generations. These are tough conversations to have, but as elected leaders we need to have them.”

The review found DHHS did not obtain or timely obtain over half of the required supervision reports for a sampled group of Michigan children who were placed out-of-state through the compact. At least one 90-day supervision report is required. In the case of one Michigan child’s placement in another state, DHHS’ interstate compact office failed to provide supervision reports for approximately one year, and three other children who were placed in other states did not have supervision reports for over 270 days.

The compact also requires a child welfare caseworker in a receiving state to conduct monthly face-to-face visits beginning no later than 30 days from the date which a receiving state is notified of a child’s placement, and provides notification standards to keep kids safe if issues are identified in the face-to-face meeting. The audit disclosed DHHS did not conduct these initial face-to-face visits within 30 days for nearly one-third of sampled children placed within the state.

“This isn’t just about filling out paperwork and folders in a drawer. This is about the safety of Michigan kids whose care is in the hands of the state,” Thompson said. “I am hopeful the department follows through on process updates that do right by Michigan’s kids, and I will be in communication with the department in the weeks and months ahead to ensure these recommendations are being incorporated and producing results.”

Thompson has been a consistent advocate for protecting children during the 2023-24 legislative term. After meeting with victims and impacted families last year, she signed onto a letter to the OAG requesting a performance review of the Hawthorn Center in Northville Township to further examine patient care and opinions of staff about patient treatment, the effectiveness of patient treatment complaints, clinical decisions, reporting, and more. Following the letter, the OAG later announced it would look into allegations at the facility as well as other state-run psychiatric hospitals. Thompson has also called for the House Health Policy Committee and the House Health Policy Subcommittee on Behavioral Health to hold hearings on how the state can curb repeated and widely reported child welfare incidents, improve state policies and cultivate more transparency for families.