Court Approves Michigan Plan To Exit Court Oversight Of Child Welfare System

On February 2, 2016, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) announced that the court overseeing the settlement agreement in the 2007 Dwayne B. v. Snyder child welfare lawsuit had approved the state’s plan to exit federal oversight. The plan calls for the state to meet 71 improvement goals and maintain that improvement during a monitoring period.

The “Michigan Implementation, Sustainability, and Exit Plan, Dwayne B. v. Snyder” focuses on the following areas where MDHHS must still improve performance. These areas include reducing caseworker caseloads, increasing visits between caseworkers and children, maintaining sibling relationships, recruiting foster homes . . .