Michigan Department of Human Services and the Michigan Advisory Committee on Overrepresentation of Children of Color in Child Welfare will sponsor a public hearing in Detroit May 25. The hearing will accept testimony on issues related to minority children in state child welfare programs.

The hearing will be held Wednesday, May 25 from 9:00 A.M.–Noon at Wayne State University Law School M. Patrich Auditorium at 471 West Palmer in Detroit.

“Children of color are represented in the child welfare and juvenile justice caseloads far in excess of their proportion in the general population,” said Department of Human Services director Marianne Udow. “We are seeking answers as to why this is and how we can better serve children and families.”

Udow co-chairs the advisory committee with Carol Goss, CEO of the Detroit-based Skillman Foundation. The 40-member group has met since August 2004. By the end of this calendar year, the group will develop an action plan with recommendations for the Department of Human Services and Michigan Legislature on ways to reduce minority overrepresentation in the child welfare system.

"Overrepresentation of children of color in the child welfare system is not a new issue, nor is it just a problem in Michigan,” Goss said. “Michigan is providing leadership to other states in this cutting edge work on behalf of children. It is also not just a problem for the Department of Human Services.

“It is an issue for all of us who care about children and their families. It is time to develop policies and practices that will improve the way communities and systems care for vulnerable children and families."

The hearing site is handicapper accessible and anyone needing assistance can call (517) 335-6124 to make arrangements. Persons unable to attend the hearing may direct written comments to Marianne Udow, Michigan Department of Human Services, 235 S. Grand Avenue, Lansing, MI 48933 or submit them by fax to (517) 241-7047.