Agency had lengthy list of alarming problems

Agency had lengthy list of alarming problems

January 29, 2007

RUBY L. BAILEY, JACK KRESNAK and TINA LAM

FREE PRESS

The Lethbridge children's journey did not end with Isaac's brutal death.

A day after Isaac died on Aug. 16, his 4-year-old sister was taken to Children's Hospital, where bruises were found on her back, midsection, spine, thighs and ankles. Shirley Anderson-Titus, the girl's court-appointed attorney, reported later that an examination of suspected sexual abuse was inconclusive.

State investigators combed through the records of the Lula Belle Stewart Center, the Detroit nonprofit agency in charge of Isaac and his sister's care, and found alarming things: 26 of 84 foster homes had expired licenses; at least five allegations of abuse or neglect were never investigated, and seven children were in dangerous or unacceptable placements.

Investigators couldn't immediately locate or verify where 21 of the agency's 106 foster children were, though all were eventually found.

The state took away Lula Belle's license to place foster children, an action the center is fighting.

Critics question whether any of Isaac's three Detroit foster homes were suitable for very young children, or for any foster child.

Elizabeth Carey, executive director of the Michigan Federation for Children and Families, which represents private nonprofit agencies, said the state did not provide adequate oversight of Lula Belle.

"It's not that Michigan doesn't know how to deliver good services to kids; it's that we're not delivering the scope of services and intensive services that we used to," Carey said.

James Gale, director of the state Office of Children and Adult Licensing, said he devoted six licensing consultants -- half of his staff -- to the investigation of Lula Belle. Seven Child Protective Services workers also were assigned to the case.

"I had to answer for myself, 'What did we miss?' " said Gale, adding that the investigation proved yearly reviews hadn't indicated significant problems.

But he admitted that the state's policy of sampling a small portion of an agency's records yearly leaves finding widespread problems "the luck of the draw."