Detroit nonprofit urges Michigan lawmakers to require trauma training, safety plans and independent abuse investigations

Neighborhood Service Organization President Linda Little told the House Oversight Subcommittee on Child Welfare System that her organization’s “Don’t Touch Me” awareness campaign seeks three legal changes to better protect children reported as abused. Little, joined by Mikael Muhammad of Reclaiming Our Community, asked lawmakers for mandatory, age‑specific trauma training; a requirement that safety plans accompany returns of children to homes where abuse allegations exist; and independent investigations by each agency that interacts with child abuse reports.

The proposals, Little said, are “based on the countless women who have told their stories about what’s happened to them in this system,” and she urged lawmakers to prioritize children’s safety. “Our mission with this movement is to ensure that every child has a right to be safe, to be heard, and to be free from harm,” she…