This was the last week that the so-called “Relative Placement Bill,” House Bill 4118, could be put to a vote in the Michigan Senate, making it into law.  The bill would require DHS to place foster children with relatives before strangers, as long as the best interests of the child are not harmed by doing so. The bill grew out of the nightmare experienced by Ahmed and Rehab Amer, who had three of their children taken from them — without reason it later turned out — and placed with strangers until they were grown, strangers who intensely focused on raising the children to not identify with their real family’s faith or culture. The Amers have worked tirelessly in their attempts to prevent other Michigan families from going through the same torture.

The bill was first introduced to the House in January of 2009 by Rep. Gino Polidori and was ready for a vote on December 1 of this year. If it doesn’t get a vote this week, it dies. The legislature adjourns for a 30 day holiday on Friday, December 4 and all the efforts to protect foster children in this state from this trauma will have been to no avail. We hope Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop and Majority Floor Leader Alan Cropsey will act in the best interests of our children and bring this bill to a vote before they go home to their own families and enjoy the holidays. There is no excuse for not doing it.