LANSING — Today, the state auditor general’s office published audit results of Michigan’s Child Protective Services (CPS), an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). The audit found CPS repeatedly failed to perform criminal history checks, contact mandatory reporters, and perform investigations within required times. In response, state Rep. Pam Faris (D-Clio), Democratic vice chair of the DHHS Appropriations Subcommittee, issued the following statement:
“The findings in this audit are deeply troubling — but what is even more troubling is how avoidable they were. Chronic underfunding by the Republican majority of critical protections within the Department of Health and Human Services over the past seven years has put the lives of our children at risk. Every year, Democrats introduce proposals to provide additional resources for child protection and every year those proposals are rejected by Republicans who are more interested in handouts to wealthy corporations than funding Child Protective Services. These failures cannot be allowed to continue; our children deserve better from state government.”