State Reports Reveal Glaring Faults, Makes Recommendations

Lansing, MI - Three state reports were released last week in connection with the death of Ricky Holland. They were withheld during the trial and sentencing of his adoptive parents, and the information contained was not used during their trials.

Tim and Lisa Holland were found guilty of second- and first-degree murder in connection with the beating death of Ricky, their adoptive son, and sentenced in November. Tim Holland pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in exchange for his testimony during his wife's trial. Lisa Holland was also found guilty of first-degree child abuse. He will be serving 30-60 years and she will be serving life without the possibility of parole.

The reports shine light on the multiple failures that led to Ricky's death at the hands of Lisa Holland. As many as 10 DHS employees in 2 counties are currently under disciplinary investigation according to reports.

The case itself has received significant media attention, and Marianne Udow, head of DHS in Michigan, stated at a press conference on Friday that this is the first time reports have been released to the public.

While much information is protected by law because the children involved (besides Ricky) are minors, the reports and recommendations make clear that multiple violations by the state led to the conditions that caused Ricky's death. However, Marianne Udow says that the state is only partly to blame, and that the blame falls on his adoptive parents.

Among the list of complaints were these:

• A therapist, Susan Honeck of
  Catholic Charities of Jackson, testified that she reported abuse of
  Ricky in February of 2002. The allegations were that he was tied in
  bed with a dog rope and handcuffs. According to the therapist, he
  had deep marks on his wrists that were scabbed over. The therapist
  also testified that Ricky stated he 'made a deal' with the foster
  parents that he wouldn't pee on the floor and they wouldn't tie him
  up. An investigation was done, but since Lisa Hollands version of
  events was so much different than Ricky's, it was considered
  unsubstantiated. One report found that the worker did not see
  Ricky's bedroom, bed, and the dog leash, nor did she do a proper
  investigation of the allegations. The investigator instead chose to
  believe Lisa Holland's denial that she tied him up. DHS disputes
  that the worker did not see Ricky's room, though they admit the
  investigation was not thorough.

• After Ricky was reported missing,
  his siblings were allowed to remain in the home in spite of 9 calls
  to CPS about the children. Four were made in Jackson County and five
  in Ingham County. Of the ones made in Jackson County, two were
  deemed not credible, one wasn't made against the Hollands, and one
  was investigated but not thoroughly. None of those in Ingham County
  were investigated thoroughly.

• During the time that Ricky was in
  foster care in the Holland home, the foster care worker failed to
  document visiting in the home for nearly 2 years. Though she
  reportedly saw him 36 times, she did not note where she saw him. She
  also failed to get approval from Ricky's birth parents for his
  behavior-control medications, as required by policy of DHS, nor did
  she report any consideration of the allegations that he was tied to
  his bed.

• The adoption worker reportedly did
  not do a proper assessment of the Hollands' home prior to the
  adoption, and for Ricky's siblings, she copied and pasted
  information from his assessment onto their forms. She also requested
  an expedited adoption of Ricky's younger sibling after his death
  without benefit of a court hearing. It was quickly granted.

• The adoption worker in the Holland
  case became friends with Lisa Holland. Officials and others believe
  that it interfered with investigations that could have led to
  substantiated claims of child maltreatment in the home before
  Ricky's death.

The recommendations from the Office of the Children's Ombudsman are many and varied, and include:

• Doing monthly criminal background
  checks on foster parents, instead of yearly checks, and possibly
  starting to require psychological evaluations.

• Creating a better screening
  process for foster and adoptive parents.

• Improving computerized reporting
  to make sure that all necessary parts are completed, including
  information on where the child was visited and other pertinent
  information.

• Implementing a toll-free hotline
  so that mandated reporters can report child abuse or neglect and
  provide follow-up.

• Requiring DHS workers from another
  county to investigate complaints of abuse or neglect against foster
  parents.

• More training for supervisors, CPS
  workers, and foster care workers, including specialized training by
  the State Police to better screen for signs of abuse or neglect.

More emphasis on allegations of abuse or neglect from children. The policy would force CPS workers to collect and document evidence to disprove the allegations the child is claiming before they rule the claim unsubstantiated.

Critics contend that the recommendations are not enough to protect children, stating that lack of proper training, a lack of social workers, and problems within the system interfere with the State's ability to properly care for children in its care.

David Law, State Representative from Commerce Township, Michigan, also has complaints. He heads a special committee convened around the Holland case. He voices concern that no worker under investigation has been fired, instead they have been transferred to jobs that have no contact with children's cases.

The 4 living siblings of Ricky Holland are currently staying with Tim Holland's family. His mother had a child earlier this year that was also seized by the state.