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Rep. Hall’s plan to improve CPS protocol, protect vulnerable children approved by House
RELEASE|January 16, 2020
Contact: Matt Hall

State Rep. Matt Hall’s legislation to better protect Michigan’s vulnerable children and improve the performance of the state’s Children’s Protective Services (CPS) division was today approved with unanimous support by the Michigan House of Representatives.

Hall’s proposal came in the wake of a 2018 performance audit that called into question the effectiveness and efficiency of CPS. The House Oversight Committee, chaired by Hall, hosted a series of hearings digging into the issues found by the Auditor General, and now he is presenting solutions.

One of the many findings in the audit unveiled that CPS did not appropriately start an investigation within the required 24 hours in 17 percent of cases – in part because there was disagreement about what is required to consider an investigation started. Current law does not specify what constitutes commencing an investigation, meaning that merely opening a case file within the 24-hour window is acceptable under state law.

Hall maintains that is not enough.

“What happens in that first 24 hours is critical,” said Hall, of Marshall. “It’s not enough to simply open a case file. When time is of the essence, looking into the safety of the children must be the priority.”

Hall’s legislation, part of a broad bipartisan plan, requires CPS to commence an investigation by making contact that provides information on the safety of all children in a home where suspected child abuse or neglect has occurred within that vital 24-hour window.

House Bill 4705 now moves to the Senate for further consideration.

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