Child abuse case sparks amendments to state laws
Concerns over Michigan child protection laws has prompted a package of bills addressing issues of how cases are investigated and the communication among affected agencies.
"There has been a strong will on the department of legislation to take a look at what's going on and make improvements," Sen. Gilda Jacobs, D-Huntington Woods said.
The proposed bills will put Friend of the Court, usually a volunteer that offers information on a point of law or other aspect to assist the court in decision making, as a mandatory reporter for child neglect.
The death of 9-year-old Nicholas Braman, a child abuse victim case, in October 2007 acted as a catalyst to spark these changes in legislation.
Legislative aide Paul Burns said Friend of the Court already fits the current criteria for the list.
"It's just adding another safeguard in place," Burns said.
Other individuals considered on this list include teachers, doctors and social workers.
"Our biggest concern is the safety of the children," said Jen Klein, children's protective service specialist for the Kent County Department of Human Services and Central Michigan University 2008 alumna.
Coordination between Friend of the Court and the department of human services will also be mandated within the new legislation. Before, there was no responsibility for Friend of the Court and the department of human services to provide each other with information on child abuse and neglect cases.
"We went to make sure that both parties are communicating and know the issues," Sen. Mark Jansen, R-Gaines Township said.
Finding out legal custody information from a child's parent or guardian is sometimes difficult and hard to verify, Klein said. With the new legislation, Friend of the Court will be required to inform the department of human services of all progress regarding child protection cases.
"This will help the department out more if we have a relationship with someone who can give correct information in a timely matter," Klein said.
Communication between the two agencies is arguably the most important aspect of the strengthened child protection laws, Jansen said.
"Just like any other relationship, you have to have communication," he said.
The workload of child protective service specialists will be limited to only 30 cases, changing the current ratio of children to case workers to eliminate cases from falling through the cracks. This cut-back is one of the efforts made to ensure that nothing is overlooked in investigations.
"This really tightens things up," Jacobs said. "It is a very important change to the system."
Investigations for child abuse and neglect cases will follow a statewide checklist as to complete a thorough job. Klein said the requirements may be available as early as October.
"We need to make sure all workers are going through the checklist and not missing anything," Burns said.
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