Auditor General finds partial compliance with 2018 child-protection recommendations; MDHHS disputes some conclusions

The House Oversight Subcommittee on Child Welfare System heard July 2024 follow-up findings from the Michigan Office of the Auditor General (OAG) showing incomplete compliance by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) with recommendations from a 2018 audit of Child Protective Services (CPS) investigations.

OAG Audit Division Administrator Yvonne Benn told the committee the office reviewed 17 prior findings and concluded MDHHS "complied with 6 recommendations" but for 11 recommendations the department "either partially or did not comply," with material conditions remaining for nine of those. "We issued this follow-up report in July 2024," Benn said.

Why it matters: the audit covers whether CPS investigators timely assess child safety, perform central-registry and criminal-history checks, and complete supervisory reviews — activities that OAG said are essential to identify risks to children and to the integrity of investigations.

Observation and findings presented

Keith Edwards, the audit supervisor for the follow-up, described Observation 1 and its link to Finding 1. "The CPL requires MDHHS to commence a CPS investigation within 24 hours after receiving a complaint of child abuse or neglect," Edwards said, adding the state Child Protection Law (CPL) does not define what actions constitute "commencement." He said MDHHS policy now treats "commencement" as any activity to begin an investigation, while the department's prior policy defined commencement to include an assessment of child safety within 24 hours.

The OAG reported these follow-up conclusions and sample results: the auditors reviewed 100 sampled CPS case files and other materials. Among the findings presented to the committee:

- Overall compliance: Of 17 prior findings, the OAG concluded MDHHS complied with 6; for 11 recommendations MDHHS either partially complied or did…