By Robin Bravender
Gongwer News Service
The Michigan agency serving as the legal guardian of children in foster care is failing to properly monitor those kids, according to recently released audit.
The Michigan Children’s Institute adequately identified and tracked less than half of the children under its guardianship, said the report from the state’s auditor general.
Without improvements, the agency “cannot ensure it is aware of all children under its guardianship and consistently fulfills its guardianship role and responsibilities for these children,” the audit said.
The agency, part of the Department of Health and Human Services, formally tracked 2,200 wards, auditors found, although it oversaw more than 5,000 wards during that time. It also failed to properly review foster home investigative reports, the audit said.
The department disagreed with auditors’ findings, saying it “maintains a comprehensive, multilayered system of oversight” that fulfills all legal guardianship requirements for those wards.
Those responsibilities, the department said, are “carried out through coordinated efforts” across multiple government program areas and contracted foster care providers.
Monitoring and oversight aren’t the sole responsibility of the Michigan Children’s Institute, the department said.
The department “cares deeply for the children it serves and remains committed to promoting their safety, stability and permanency,” department spokesperson Erin Stover said Thursday in an email. “Through responsible guardianship and thoughtful decision-making, MCI ensures that each child’s best interests remain at the center of decisions regarding care, placement and permanency.”
The audit recommends that the state agency improve its oversight and monitoring of the wards under its guardianship.
Auditors also suggest the agency seek clarification of its interpretation and compliance with its guardianship responsibilities under the law.
Auditors also found that the Michigan Children’s Institute did not routinely monitor access to confidential records, and that more than 600 people who were not employed by the agency – including some outside DHHS – had access to confidential records of thousands of past and present wards.
The agency agreed with the finding and the department has enhanced its data security, Stover said.
Gongwer News Service
The Michigan agency serving as the legal guardian of children in foster care is failing to properly monitor those kids, according to recently released audit.
The Michigan Children’s Institute adequately identified and tracked less than half of the children under its guardianship, said the report from the state’s auditor general.
Without improvements, the agency “cannot ensure it is aware of all children under its guardianship and consistently fulfills its guardianship role and responsibilities for these children,” the audit said.
The agency, part of the Department of Health and Human Services, formally tracked 2,200 wards, auditors found, although it oversaw more than 5,000 wards during that time. It also failed to properly review foster home investigative reports, the audit said.
The department disagreed with auditors’ findings, saying it “maintains a comprehensive, multilayered system of oversight” that fulfills all legal guardianship requirements for those wards.
Those responsibilities, the department said, are “carried out through coordinated efforts” across multiple government program areas and contracted foster care providers.
Monitoring and oversight aren’t the sole responsibility of the Michigan Children’s Institute, the department said.
The department “cares deeply for the children it serves and remains committed to promoting their safety, stability and permanency,” department spokesperson Erin Stover said Thursday in an email. “Through responsible guardianship and thoughtful decision-making, MCI ensures that each child’s best interests remain at the center of decisions regarding care, placement and permanency.”
The audit recommends that the state agency improve its oversight and monitoring of the wards under its guardianship.
Auditors also suggest the agency seek clarification of its interpretation and compliance with its guardianship responsibilities under the law.
Auditors also found that the Michigan Children’s Institute did not routinely monitor access to confidential records, and that more than 600 people who were not employed by the agency – including some outside DHHS – had access to confidential records of thousands of past and present wards.
The agency agreed with the finding and the department has enhanced its data security, Stover said.
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