Court fight over Mich. foster care system set for Tuesday

http://www.wzzm13.com/news/news_arti...?storyid=78938


By Jack Kresnak, Detroit Free Press Staff Writer

Created: 8/6/2007 6:05:09 PM
Updated: 8/6/2007 6:06:00 PM

Attorneys for the state and a New York-based children's advocacy group
suing Michigan over conditions in its foster care system are set to
square off Tuesday in federal court over access to confidential state
records.

The advocacy group Children's Rights, which is suing on behalf of 19,000
state foster children, says the Michigan Department of Human Services
has twice failed to comply with its requests for documents about six
children – the lead plaintiffs in the case – and dozens of other foster
children who died while in state care since 2004.

In its responses, the DHS through the state Attorney General's Office
said the information is deemed confidential under Michigan law. The DHS
has literally millions of documents about foster children and the DHS
has a legal obligation to uphold state privacy laws, the agency said.

Federal law should take precedence over state law, according to
attorneys for Children's Rights. Besides, the advocacy group said, it is
willing to sign agreements to keep confidential information about
children private and not released to the public.


The DHS has identified 67 case files of children who have died under
state supervision, Children's Rights said. Most apparently died of
natural causes, but in the past two years, three foster children have
been killed in state licensing foster homes.


U.S. District Court Judge Nancy Edmunds has scheduled a hearing on the
requests for 1 p.m. Tuesday. A trial on the class-action lawsuit is
scheduled for April.





CURRENTLY CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES VIOLATES MORE CIVIL RIGHTS ON A
DAILY BASIS THEN ALL OTHER AGENCIES COMBINED INCLUDING THE NSA / CIA
WIRETAPPING PROGRAM....

CPS Does not protect children...
It is sickening how many children are subject to abuse, neglect and even
killed at the hands of Child Protective Services.

every parent should read this .pdf from
connecticut dcf watch...

http://www.connecticutdcfwatch.com/8x11.pdf

http://www.connecticutdcfwatch.com

Number of Cases per 100,000 children in the US
These numbers come from The National Center on
Child Abuse and Neglect in Washington. (NCCAN)
Recent numbers have increased significantly for CPS

*Perpetrators of Maltreatment*

Physical Abuse CPS 160, Parents 59
Sexual Abuse CPS 112, Parents 13
Neglect CPS 410, Parents 241
Medical Neglect CPS 14 Parents 12
Fatalities CPS 6.4, Parents 1.5

CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES, HAPPILY DESTROYING HUNDREDS OF INNOCENT
FAMILIES YEARLY NATIONWIDE AND COMING TO YOU'RE HOME SOON...


BE SURE TO FIND OUT WHERE YOUR CANDIDATES STANDS ON THE ISSUE OF
REFORMING OR ABOLISHING CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES ("MAKE YOUR CANDIDATES
TAKE A STAND ON THIS ISSUE.") THEN REMEMBER TO VOTE ACCORDINGLY IF THEY
ARE "FAMILY UNFRIENDLY" IN THE NEXT ELECTION...