DETROIT – After months of delays, a new state audit of Michigan’s Child Protective Services Investigations unit finds continued discrepancies at the state agency responsible for protecting kids from abuse and/or neglect.
Background: Michigan CPS audit delayed again after child’s death
The new audit is a follow-up to a 2018 CPS Investigations audit by the state Auditor General. The 2018 examination of how CPS conducts investigations found 17 serious discrepancies with how the agency conducted its investigations, and the 2018 audit included corrective measures suggested by the state auditor. The just-released follow-up audit finds CPS Investigations in many cases: did not start its investigations in a timely manner, did not conduct criminal background checks on adults associated with alleged victims of child abuse and not accurately assess the future risk of harm to kids -- among other things.
CPS Investigations did make positive progress in some areas, according to the new audit, which states that CPS made appropriate referrals to county prosecuting attorneys and completed its investigations in a timely manner. The audit also states the agency made partial progress in many areas, but still finds that not enough positive progress was made.
Child Protective Services is a function of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Caseworkers conduct face-to-face interviews, review police reports, criminal histories and evidence. They determine whether enough evidence suggests a child has been abused and determine the child’s risk of future abuse or neglect. CPS Investigations caseworkers can petition the courts to have a child removed from his or her home, or have parental rights taken away.
To reach its conclusions, the state Auditor General reviewed a sampling of CPS Investigations between June 1, 2021 through May 31, 2022. Auditors compared their findings with what they found in the 2018 audit, and reviewed laws and “best practices” for conducting child abuse and neglect investigations. The multiple delays in the release of the new audit were due to the audit complexity and a shortage of auditing staff, according to the Auditor General.
Elizabeth Hertel, Director of Michigan’s Department of Health and Human Services referred to the findings in the new audit as “unethical and biased” in a letter to the state Auditor General.
The full letter can be read below.
Watch Local 4 News at 6 tonight for more on the new audit report.