Ricky Holland Vanished

Today marks the second anniversary of Ricky Holland’s reported disappearance and murder. What changes have been made to the Michigan Department of Children’s Services to prevent more children being murdered while under their watchful eye?

When it was revealed that Ricky had been murdered at the hands of the two people who were supposed to love and raise him as their own, and his body dumped in a field, Governor Grandholm vowed that changes would be made to the system. She vowed that she would ‘get to the bottom’ of what happened to allow this terrible thing to happen to Ricky. Of course Governor Grandholm appointed the proverbial ’special’ committee to research the case.

The person appointed to head the committee, state Rep. David Law, R-Commerce Township, ran into opposition from the State Ombudsman’s Office when Representative Law requested the case files. He was told the committee could not have the records because of ‘privacy concerns’. Representative Law asked Governor Grandholm to intervene and he was met with opposition from the Governor as well.

In the end, the recommendation made by the committee was to make the State Ombudsman’s Office accountable to the legislature instead of the Governor’s office. The recommendation was made after Governor Grandholm was re-elected so naturally she decided to veto the recommendations. Her official response was there is nothing wrong with the current system.

Since Ricky’s death two other children have died while in foster care. Last year, Isaac Lethbridge succumbed to injuries inflicted by an unknown person or persons while his foster mother and many other adults were in the home. His foster mother, Charlsie Adams-Rogers was tried and convicted on charges of involuntary manslaughter and 2nd-degree child abuse. She was sentenced today to 51/2 – 15 years in prison.

Also last year, Allison Newman succumbed to her injuries. It is alleged foster mother, Ann Poole tossed Allison off a landing during a game of ‘whirlybird’. Ann Poole is awaiting trial.

Another child lost his life in foster care in Ohio last year. Marcus Fiesel was left bound with duct tape inside a closet while his foster parents attended a family reunion in another state. Marcus was found dead when they returned home. Just like the Holland’s the Carroll’s staged a fake disappearance causing many resources to be utilized for nothing.

Also, just like the Holland case, David Carroll received a plea deal, his wife stood trial and was sentenced to what equals a life sentence.

This is where the similarities end.

The foster care agency that placed Marcus with the Carroll’s and had the responsibility to make sure the Carroll foster home was safe has lost it’s license as a foster placement agency. Recently, two laws were passed to strengthen the rights of children in foster care to help insure that they are placed in safe homes. A park was created to honor Marcus.

What has Michigan done? Reelected a Governor who claimed to care about foster children and has done nothing to back up that claim.