Editorial: Michigan must do more to protect kids

A decade after the death of Ricky Holland rocked mid-Michigan, the state department charged with watching over children like Ricky continues to fail too many.

Indeed, the federal monitors who are charged with watching the state’s performance said in a report this spring that Michigan’s “failure to achieve the minimum safety standards for children in foster care is a persistent and dire problem.”

Spend a moment considering what that means.

It has been a full decade since the region watched in horror as Ricky’s story unfolded. The 7-year-old was reported missing by his adoptive parents, prompting law enforcement to launch a massive search. Over the July 4 weekend in 2005, hundreds of area residents tromped across fields, looking everywhere for the boy.

Early on, some had doubts about the conduct of his adoptive parents, Lisa and Tim Holland. Eventually Tim Holland cooperated with authorities, told them where to find Ricky’s body and testified against his wife. She stood trial and was convicted. Both are in prison.

Spurred by the horrid details of the death of an innocent child, Michiganders directed anger to the Department of Human Services. And while there have been efforts to improve, there remains ample evidence of continued trouble:

•Data shows 1,240 children suffered repeat maltreatment and 434 were abused or neglected while in foster care since monitors were ordered to track and report problems to a federal judge.

•Reports continue to find endangered children facing additional peril in their foster care placements. Children housed with others who display aggressive sexual behavior; a child ran away and foster parents failed to notify autorities; a child was injured by a physically abusive father during a visit that was supposed to have been supervised.

So Michigan has reduced case loads, implemented better training, added new means for reporting abuse. It has renewed commitment from many working inside and outside the system.

Yet a decade after Ricky’s death, federal monitors still say that Michigan has “persistent and dire” problems in the state-run programs that are supposed to protect children.

The best way for mid-Michigan to remember Ricky Holland is to keep pushing the state to do more for its most vulnerable citizens, its children.

The best way to honor Ricky’s short life is to demand that the state fix the lingering problems cited by monitors. Nothing else is acceptable.

An LSJ editorial

Michigan must do better for its children in foster care.