Kalamazoo Times

State Reps. Andrea Schroeder (R-Independence Township) and Matt Fall (R-Marshall) are intent on granting the state’s Children’s Ombudsman investigators more ammunition in the battle against child abuse.

House Bills 5248 and 5249 are aimed at dedicating more resources to the cause and improving transparency and accountability.

The proposals come in the wake of an audit earlier this year that found that the Children’s Ombudsman office was failing to tackle a large percentage of child abuse cases because mandates related to child fatality cases were eating up too many of the agency’s resources. The two lawmakers’ proposal would reclassify some child death cases, allowing the agency to devote more time and resources to focusing on the welfare and safety of children.

The bills would allow the office to publicly release finding and recommendations of child death investigations and allow preliminary investigation into cases of a child's death while in foster care or of a child who recently left foster care or was involved in protective services case.

“Part of doing what’s right for our children and our families are continually monitoring and improving the state departments they rely upon,” Schroeder said in a Michigan House Republicans website press release. “This plan will help vulnerable children across Michigan get the help they need and the justice they deserve.”

Hall added lawmakers are only doing what they’re legally obligated to do by working to rectify the situation.

“As a state, we have an obligation to protect our most-vulnerable children,” he said. “In many cases, these kids have nobody else to stand up and fight for them. That’s why I continue to push for reforms that will do a better job for the children depending on us.”

Both bills are now awaiting further consideration by the House Families, Children and Seniors Committee.