Michigan Department of Health and Human Services highlights child welfare improvements

Dec. 7, 2010

 

Reforms in Michigan's child welfare system have meant more children were adopted from foster care, are receiving better mental health services and have better outcomes overall, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Director Ismael Ahmed said today.

 

"MDHHS, in partnership with private agencies and the courts, have made significant strides in the past two years to ensure we're doing our part to help children find safe, loving and stable homes," Ahmed said.

 

In fact, 3,030 children were adopted from foster care in 2009, more than in any other year, he said.

 

Those reforms earned the department praise from Wayne County Juvenile Court Presiding Judge Leslie Smith.

 

"MDHHS has done remarkably in terms of effecting significant change in a very short amount of time," Smith said. "I've seen improvement in addressing the mental health of children in foster care, and moving children to permanency, including adoption. The agency, and its leadership, should be commended for improving the welfare of children in Michigan."

 

The comments come as MDHHS returns to court today to discuss progress made in child welfare reforms under an October 2008 consent decree. Under the agreement, MDHHS reports every six months on its progress; the Public Catalyst Group of Newark, N.J., monitors progress and makes recommendations for additional improvements. As of the third reporting period, which ended March 31, 2010, MDHHS had made significant reforms.

 

 

MDHHS' accomplishments include a program that provides in-home services and supports to families with children who have serious emotional disturbances. Established by the Michigan Department of Community Health in 2005, the serious emotional disturbances waiver program originally was a way to use federal Medicaid funds to help children. In 2009, MDHHS worked with DCH to apply the waiver to 266 children in foster care in Ingham, Macomb, Saginaw, Kalamazoo and Oakland counties.

 

The project has since expanded to also include Genesee Wayne and Kent counties. Services are used to keep children in a home in their local communities with intensive wraparound and community-based mental health services.

 

Using the fund-matching aspect of the program, MDHHS dedicated less than $2 million of state money that turned into almost $6 million of service.

 

"The waiver has reversed a trend of institutionalizing children with serious emotional disturbances, and is one example of innovation and partnership between DHS and DCH to serve the state's vulnerable children and families," said Kathryne O'Grady, MDHHS Children's Services Administration director. "These services mean more stability for the children and their families."

 

Other MDHHS child welfare accomplishments include:

 

• Reducing the number of children in foster care from 16,545 in June 2009 to 15,023 in October 2010.
• In 2008, MDHHS and private agencies completed 2,638 adoptions and received $875,000 in federal funds for the accomplishment.
• In 2009, MDHHS and private agencies completed 3,030 adoptions - more than ever before - and were awarded a $3.5 million federal adoption incentive award for the accomplishment.
• In 2010, with 30 counties participating and 150 adoptions finalized, Michigan Adoption Day 2010 was the nation's largest Adoption Day event for the eighth year in a row.
• In 2008, there were 6,315 foster children residing with unlicensed relatives. The agreement required Michigan to move the children to licensed settings or relative homes approved for a waiver. As of October 2010, the state is in 99 percent compliance.
• In September 2008, there were 5,178 children awaiting reunification for more than 12 months. This group was called the "permanency backlog cohort." As of September 2010, MDHHS had closed more than 78 percent of the cases.
• In September 2008, there were 4,396 children awaiting adoption longer than 12 months. As of September 2010, MDHHS had closed more than 63 percent of those cases.

 

or more information about MDHHS, please visit www.michigan.gov/mdhhs. Follow MDHHS on Twitter @MichiganDHS or become a fan at www.facebook.com/MichiganDHS.F