Michigan Department of Human Services Director Maura Corrigan has announced that the DHS has passed an audit of its performance of the federal IV-E program in Michigan, which covers federal funding for the state’s foster care and adoption assistance programs.
Last June, the DHS underwent a federal review of the state’s program operation.
The weeklong review of 80 foster care cases determined whether DHS had correctly determined eligibility for children under its care and custody.
The state was allowed to have a 5 percent error rate, or four cases.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families notified Michigan last August that the state did not pass the review because it identified six error cases.
Two of the error cases resulted in a total disallowance of $67,264 in federal funds.
The Michigan attorney general, on behalf of DHS, appealed this finding to the federal Department Appeals Board in November 2010.
The federal board issued a decision this month, according to state officials, reversing the disallowance and ruling that Michigan is operating the Title IV-E program in accordance with federal regulations.
“The Department of the Attorney General provided DHS with excellent legal representation in our appeal of the federal review findings,” Corrigan said, who left the Michigan Supreme Court earlier this month to become director of the department.
Corrigan said DHS employees and the State Court Administrators Office “deserves our praise for their fine work in conducting the preparation for the review.”
The federal IV-E program provided about $224.2 million in funds for the Michigan foster care and adoption programs during fiscal year 2009, the most recent year for which records are available.
Because of the decision, Michigan will not be required to conduct a subsequent federal onsite review until 2013.
The 2010 review was Michigan’s third of the IV-E program since 2004.
Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Robert P. Young, Jr. commended both Corrigan and the attorney general for their advocacy on behalf of Michigan’s children and on the proper operation of the Title IV-E federal program.
“Former Justice Corrigan made the commitment to DHS several years ago that she would work to assure courts operated in compliance with federal Title IV-E program regulations,” said Young.
According to the chief justice, Corrigan’s “ tireless commitment and advocacy resulted in outstanding news for Michigan with this review.
Young said the high court “will continue to work with former Justice Corrigan in her new role as DHS director to continue the same high level of collaboration.”
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