St. Clair Today

House Oversight Committee Chairman Jay DeBoyer has criticized the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) for what he describes as failures in responding to child welfare emergencies. During a recent committee hearing, DeBoyer referenced testimony from local law enforcement officials that contradicted statements made by DHHS Director Elizabeth Hertel regarding the state's response to such cases.

“Today’s testimony wasn’t just about setting the record straight. It clearly underscores failures and an alarming lack of both communication and cooperation on the part of DHHS,” said DeBoyer, who represents Clay Township. “We’re talking about the health and well-being of children who are being forced to live in totally inhumane conditions. Every resource should be utilized to get positive results for our most vulnerable populations. Every lead should be followed when we’re trying to protect children. Not doing so is simply a dereliction of duty.”

The committee heard from Monroe County Sheriff Troy Goodnough about incidents involving Children’s Protective Services (CPS). Goodnough reported that his deputies did not receive adequate communication or guidance from state officials after discovering two small children, their mother, and grandfather living in poor conditions inside a tent and, on another occasion, inside a car. According to Goodnough, officers from his department intervened and removed the children from these environments, despite Hertel stating at a September 9 hearing that DHHS was responsible for their removal.

During the same hearing, Hertel declined to discuss communications with the county sheriff's office further, citing information provided by CPS.

“The outcome was clearly unfavorable,” Goodnough said. “I don’t think there’s anybody in the state of Michigan that doesn’t know how to get ahold of a sheriff. She didn’t call and say ‘Hey Sheriff, can we have a conversation? Can I seek clarification? Can you share (information) with me? I would have made every investigator that was involved in this case available to (Director Hertel).

“We’re here to represent victims that don’t have a voice of their own, regardless of whether it’s children in a CPS case or victims of other criminal activity, that is my job as a Sheriff – to make sure their voices are heard and changes are made. Convince me that she is going to put a mechanism in place so that this failure doesn’t happen again.”

Marquette County Chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Jill Bable also testified before the committee. She said she has reviewed numerous cases involving child protection where she believes DHHS did not fulfill its responsibilities. In one instance cited by Bable, DHHS returned a child to an abusive parent even after parental rights had been terminated due to abuse resulting in injury.

Goodnough added that his department documented three welfare-related incidents within a short period since this situation occurred where procedural issues with DHHS delayed services and outcomes for those needing help. After hearing Goodnough's account, one Democratic committee member described DHHS’ challenges as “systemic.”

“There’s a lot of people making a lot of money that aren’t holding up their end of the stick,” Goodnough said.

DeBoyer highlighted financial concerns related to DHHS: “There are only a few corporations in the state with more gross revenue than DHHS,” he said. “There’s been nearly a 2,000 percent increase in the number of people at DHHS making over $100,000 in taxpayer-funded salaries since Director Hertel assumed her position. It’s completely unacceptable to hear consistent instances where the department has allowed things to slip through the cracks. We must see more follow through from the department to assist our fellow community members, and we will continue to hold the department accountable to the people who help fund it.”