Kent County is facing a “child welfare emergency” after the state cut off funds to the agency that’s been handling foster care cases for years, according to the judges that handle child abuse and neglect cases in the county.
The nonprofit agency, the West Michigan Partnership for Children, is also suing the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, arguing the funding cuts are illegal. WMPC’s complaint alleges MDHHS “ghosted” the agency, cutting it out of the process without notice, posing “enormous potential risk for children who are already in vulnerable and high-risk situations.”
Sonia Noorman, who leads WMPC, said she only found out about the cuts after hearing from other agencies in the county, which are contracted to provide foster care services…