Oakland County board approves move of Children’s Village medical services to Health and Human Services after contentious debate

The Oakland County Board of Commissioners voted 10-7 on April 10 to reassign Children’s Village medical clinic services from the Department of Public Services to the Health and Human Services Department, a move supporters said would consolidate oversight of clinical care and opponents said would jeopardize long-serving nurses’ jobs.

The board adopted an amendment before the final vote that, according to commissioners, preserves current pay and benefits for affected employees, extends the timeline for position changes to the end of the county’s fiscal year and allows up to 24 months for staff to obtain a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) if required for new titles. The amendment was offered from the floor and passed on a 14-3 vote before the main motion was approved 10-7.

Why it matters: The plan affects the county-run Children’s Village residential program and its medical staff. Nurses, union leaders and multiple commissioners described the staff as experienced and said weeks of uncertainty have caused distress among employees and residents.

What the board approved: The motion, moved by Commissioner Powell and seconded by Commissioner Gershenson, reassigns operation of Children’s Village medical clinic services to Health and Human Services. The adopted amendment adds explicit language intended to maintain nurses’ current pay and benefits during transition, extend the time that certain positions remain at Children’s Village through the end of the fiscal year, and give existing staff time to meet educational requirements (up to 24 months to obtain a BSN for classifications that will require it).

Public comment and staff concerns: Multiple Children’s Village nurses and their union representatives urged the board to reject the proposal or revise it to guarantee job protections. Marvin Vaughn, president of the nurses at Oakland County Children’s Village, said staff had not been included early enough in planning and asked commissioners to “do right by these workers.” Nurse Tracy Tuning told the board, “I stand before you tonight angry, hurt, disappointed, and heartbroken,” and said residents had told nurses they did not want them to leave. Michigan Association of Public Employees representative Chad Trusler urged commissioners to consider livelihoods before voting.

Supporters’ arguments: Commissioners who supported the reassignment said public health oversight is the appropriate structure for clinical services and emphasized assurances given during debate that no employee would incur a pay cut, and that vacant public-health nursing positions would be held open so employees who opt not to obtain a BSN can remain employed in county health roles. Commissioner Powell said the move has “the full recommendation of our public health director,” the public services director and the county executive.

Dissent and process objections: Several commissioners and public speakers called the process insufficiently clear and argued that long-serving nurses have earned protection from involuntary reclassification. Commissioner Hoffman said, “This proposal will hurt our employees,” and urged the board to grandfather staff rather than require reapplication. Other commissioners noted the emotional toll on staff and questioned whether a 24-month timeline is realistic for some caregivers with family obligations.

Next steps and implementation: Commissioners said the amendment leaves time for Human Resources, labor unions and county administration to complete negotiations and to implement internal hiring and placement. The board did not adopt language that would have required separate staged votes for transfer and classification changes.

Context: The item followed weeks of public concern and caucus discussion. The final roll call on the measure was conducted at the April 10 meeting; the board chair certified the result as 10 yeas and 7 nays.