News, Culture and NPR for Central & Northern Michigan
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
91.7FM Alpena and WCML-TV Channel 6 Alpena are off the air. Click here to learn more.

New report shows some child welfare progress at MDHHS

http://dhhs.michigan.gov

Michigan’s child welfare system met fewer than half of the standards reviewers looked at in a new report.

The report is part of a 2008 federal court settlement.

It finds the state did well when it comes to meeting case load and data standards, but not in areas like investigating maltreatment claims.

State health department director Elizabeth Hertel says she’d like to see court supervision end by the end of the year.

“We need to bring together all of partners that we work with to take care of our kids across the state and make sure that we have the same expectations of each other and of how we’re caring for kids.”

A statement for the plaintiff in the case that led to the federal oversight called the slow progress "deeply disturbing.”

Colin Jackson is a reporter for the Michigan Public Radio Network.