Capitol Connection

From our State Capitol in Lansing to the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC, WKAR is committed to explaining how the actions of lawmakers are affecting Michiganders. Political and government reporter Abigail Censky leads this section. There are also stories from Capitol correspondents Cheyna Roth, Rick Pluta and the Associated Press. As the 2020 presidential race begins, look here for reports on the role Michigan will play in electing or re-electing the president.

Whitmer Administration Agrees Child Protection Needs To Be Fixed

WKAR Public Media | By Rick Pluta

Published April 15, 2019 at 12:14 PM EDT

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Reginald Hardwick

A recent report says improvements are needed to the state’s system that protects children from abuse and neglect.

The report comes from the state Legislature’s Auditor General. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is not disputing the findings.

Stacie Blayden is with the department. She said the authority to ask a court to remove a child from a parent’s home is a big responsibility.

“I don’t think there’s any more significant service we provide in state government than child protection," said Blayden.

Blayden said the department is working to improve ratios of caseworkers to families, update computer systems, and provide better supervision. She said that may also require more funding.