http://www.childrensrights.org Children's Rights is a national watchdog organization advocating on behalf of abused and neglected children in the U.S. Fri, 28 Oct 2011 17:45:34 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en For three years, Michigan state officials neglected a court-enforceable plan to improve their harmful child welfare system — and kids in foster care suffered. A new administration stands ready to accept its responsibility for protecting vulnerable children. Three years ago, in response to Children’s Rights’ campaign for reform, Michigan state ... http://www.childrensrights.org/cases/michigan-dwayne-b-v-granholm/a-new-beginning-for-15000-children-in-michigan/ DETROIT, MI — National advocacy organization Children’s Rights and Michigan state officials announced today a new, modified settlement agreement that will reinvigorate what has been a plodding reform of the state’s struggling child welfare system — and ultimately produce genuine results for vulnerable children and families. The new agreement (PDF) was ... http://www.childrensrights.org/news-events/press/childrens-rights-and-state-officials-announce-new-plan-to-jumpstart-michigans-child-welfare-reform-efforts/ DETROIT, MICH. – Two years into a comprehensive court-ordered effort secured by national advocacy group Children’s Rights to reform Michigan’s failing child welfare system, a new progress report shows thousands of children are still stranded in foster care waiting for safe, permanent families and more youth are aging out of ... http://www.childrensrights.org/news-events/press/advocates-call-for-immediate-improvements-for-foster-youth-as-michigan-reforms-falter/ DETROIT, MI — After making some initial progress in a comprehensive child welfare reform effort required under a federal court order secured by Children’s Rights, a new progress report shows Michigan has still not found safe, permanent families for thousands of children stranded in foster care, and is at risk ... http://www.childrensrights.org/news-events/press/michigan-reforms-stall-and-too-many-children-remain-stranded-in-foster-care-stable-leadership-needed-immediately/ DETROIT, MI — One year into a massive effort to reform the troubled Michigan child welfare system under a federal court order secured by Children’s Rights, a new progress report shows that the state has begun to break a logjam that has kept nearly 10,000 children in foster care waiting ... http://www.childrensrights.org/news-events/press/kids-seeing-benefits-one-year-into-michigan-child-welfare-reforms-but-leadership-needed-to-ensure-continued-progress/ DETROIT, MI — New recommendations by the independent national experts monitoring sweeping court-ordered child welfare reforms in Michigan call for the state to devote $4 million in new funding to programs aimed at keeping vulnerable families together, moving children out of foster care institutions and into permanent families, and providing ... http://www.childrensrights.org/news-events/press/experts-in-michigan-reform-effort-call-for-4m-investment-in-strengthening-families-helping-kids-out-of-foster-care/ Following the entry of the October 24, 2008, consent decree in Dwayne B. v. Granholm, counsel for the plaintiffs and the Michigan Department of Human Services have resolved the amount of fees and expenses to be paid by the state of Michigan to plaintiffs’ counsel pursuant to 42 USC Section ... http://www.childrensrights.org/news-events/press/notice-issued-on-fee-settlement-in-michigan/ DETROIT, MI — A settlement agreement requiring comprehensive reform and federal court oversight of Michigan’s long-failing child welfare system was approved today by U.S. District Judge Nancy G. Edmunds, who hailed the settlement as going as far as possible to address the system’s problems and put in place the best ... http://www.childrensrights.org/news-events/press/federal-court-approves-landmark-settlement-mandating-reform-of-michigan-child-welfare-system/ DETROIT, MI — A settlement agreement mandating top-to-bottom reform and federal court oversight of Michigan’s long-failing child welfare system has been reached in the federal class action brought against the state by the national advocacy group Children’s Rights and a team of attorneys from Michigan and across the country. ... http://www.childrensrights.org/news-events/press/michigan-settles-reform-lawsuit/ DETROIT, MI — Likening the management of Michigan’s Department of Human Services to “blindfolded school bus drivers,” unable to see and respond to impending dangers to the children in its custody, a scathing new report by an expert in Children’s Rights’ child welfare reform lawsuit against the state of Michigan ... http://www.childrensrights.org/news-events/press/michigan-child-welfare-system-responsible-for-abuse-neglect-and-death-of-foster-children-expert-report-says/