Michigan’s CPS agency has courted so much controversy over the last decade, that it’s almost par for the course to see awful news headlines these days tied directly to something CPS did, or should have done but didn’t. And the issue of their multi-million dollar software is no exception. Ever since spending a serious chunk of change (and by ‘serious’ we mean $231 million tax payer’s dollars!) the agency has been mired in problems of their own making. 

 The software was causing the agency endless problems…

After a federal lawsuit against the agency was settled in 2006, where attorneys sued the state on behalf of thousands of children who were abused in foster care, CPS was placed under federal court oversight. In 2018, Judge Nancy Edmunds pointed out that it was nothing more than poor data collection and analysis that had “prevented, delayed or stymied efforts by court monitors to verify the state’s progress” in improving its child welfare system. So to solve the problem, Judge Edmunds ordered a complete review of the Michigan Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System (also called MiSACWIS).

What did the federal court find during the review?

Problems. Lots and lots of problems. The software, as it turns out, had so many glitches, and caused so many issues, the reviewer’s recommendation was that MDHHS should “procure or develop a new child welfare information system that does not rely, in any significant way, on the infrastructure, design, and data model of the current MiSACWIS.” In other words, the current system is a dumpster fire, so the agency should scrap it completely and start over. The federal court gave MDHHS till June 27th to decide what they’re going to do about it…

So what exactly have they decided they’re going to do now?

At a recent court hearing, where CPS was required to tell Judge Edmunds exactly how they planned to address the issues that led to the lawsuit, the issue of the glitchy software was raised again. Amongst other efforts the agency plans to make, like helping relatives of children within the foster care system get licensed, they also mentioned their plan to phase out the garbage system currently in use. But they didn’t reveal much with regard to what they hope to replace it with. Will the new system cost the state another fortune, or will it be a system already in use in other states’ child welfare agencies that Michigan can adapt for our own use. We’ll have to wait and see.

CPS has made a lot of mistakes. Are you one of them?

CPS has a long history of making mistakes. And who can blame them? The software they rely on to track cases is a flaming hot mess, and their workers are often improperly trained. So they’re rarely in possession of all the facts. But that doesn’t seem to stop them making allegations against innocent people! So if CPS is falsely accusing you of child abuse or neglect, call 866 766 5245 right now, and get help from skilled CPS defense attorneys who know how to handle this flawed agency. We’ve been fighting for parent’s rights in Michigan for decades and winning. We can help you too.