How the system is supposed to work

How the system is supposed to work

January 30, 2007

JACK KRESNAK

Michigan's complex, labor-intensive child welfare system begins with a Child Protective Services worker investigating a complaint of maltreatment.

The first decision: Is it abuse or neglect? Then: Should the child be removed from the home and placed with relatives or in a foster home?

Foster-care workers pick up from there. They are entrusted with placing the child in a safe home and seeing that medical, educational and other needs are met. They also assist parents with obstacles that prevent kids from returning home, such as problems with substance abuse or anger management and unsafe housing.

Within a year, family court judges are to begin planning for permanent placement. If parents can't sufficiently address problems, a judge can terminate their rights.

Once that happens, and any appeals are resolved, a child is supposed to be placed in a safe adoptive home. Adoption workers do background checks and assess families.

Overseeing the work of private agencies are Department of Human Services purchase-of-service workers, who monitor how agencies are handling foster children, and DHS licensing consultants, who sample the agencies' cases to see whether they are complying with regulations and laws.