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Alternatives for Children and Families of Genesee County surrenders license
July 07, 2016
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services found violations
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 7, 2016
CONTACT: Bob Wheaton, 517-241-2112
LANSING, Mich. – A Genesee County agency that provided foster care case management services has signed an agreement to voluntarily surrender its license and has closed.
The agreement with Alternatives for Children and Families of Burton is the result of a Michigan Department of Health and Human Services investigation that found that the agency violated licensing rules in its oversight of multiple foster care placements. The investigation came after the July 2015 death of a child with autism whose body was found in a Genesee County lake. Alternatives had managed the child’s case and placed him in a foster home.
Steve Yager, executive director of the Children’s Services Agency within MDHHS, emphasized that the department has ensured the safety and well-being of children placed by Alternatives throughout the process. He signed the agreement with Alternatives on July 1, 2016.
“Protecting vulnerable children is our top priority,” Yager said. “We kept that in mind in recommending revocation of the license and in handling the closing. We took numerous steps to make sure that all children and foster families received appropriate services during this transition. Children who were served by Alternatives had their cases transferred to other agencies or the local MDHHS office. Before the transfers, we closely monitored these cases and made home visits to check in with children and foster parents, providing in-person verifications of the safety of all children placed by Alternatives.”
Alternatives had a license from the MDHHS Division of Child Welfare Licensing. That division found violations that included inadequate training of foster parents and a pattern of failing to make recommendations that were consistent with findings in special investigations of foster homes conducted by Alternatives.
Revocation of the license of a foster care agency is rare and occurs when there are serious licensing violations that make closure necessary to protect children. Alternatives worked collaboratively with the department in reaching an agreement to surrender its license.
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