Mississippi Reaches Agreement In Foster Care Lawsuit

November 8, 2007 -- (JACKSON, Mississippi) – Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour and Attorney General Jim Hood announced today that the state has reached a settlement in the foster care suit, Olivia Y. et al. v. Haley Barbour et al., pending in federal court against The Department of Human Services. The Office of the Governor, Department of Human Services and the Attorney General’s Office worked closely in negotiating the settlement that will benefit the children in foster care and the State of Mississippi.

The terms of the settlement include:

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• DHS will become accredited by the Council on Accreditation (COA). COA is a nationally recognized organization that assists states in improving their foster care system.
• DHS will increase the number of, hiring standards for, and training of social workers.
• DHS will increase educational and therapeutic services to foster parents and children.
• The requirement of a 24-hour hotline for the reporting of abuse and maltreatment of children throughout the state.
• Improvement of screening for physical and mental health needs when a child enters the system.

“Foster care is a challenge for every state because of the complexities involved in caring for these most vulnerable children,” Governor Haley Barbour said. “Since only a handful of states are accredited in this area I expect this settlement to help create a system in Mississippi that will become a national model for how these essential services can best be delivered.”

“It will require a great deal of hard work on the part of Human Services to fulfill the terms of this agreement,” said Attorney General Jim Hood. “Our office supports the settlement and applauds DHS’ commitment to improving the quality of services provided to foster children in our state.”

The suit was filed by the New York-based Children’s Rights, Inc. on behalf of all children in foster care in Mississippi. The group has sued numerous other states on this same issue, many of which have entered into similar settlement agreements with Children’s Rights, Inc.

Source: Mississippi Governor