(AP) -- State Human Services director Ismael Ahmed says more foster children are being adopted and caseworkers have fewer children to oversee under changes made in the past year.
Michigan settled a lawsuit in 2008 by pledging to hire more people and trim the number of cases per worker. An independent report to be released Tuesday will look at how well the state is meeting those goals.
Ahmed told reporters Monday that "we've made significant progress."
A record 2,955 foster children were adopted last year, a 6 percent increase over 2008, and 13 percent fewer children are in foster care.
He says half of the state's foster care caseworkers deal with just 25 children at a time. He adds the national average is 15, and that Michigan is working toward that goal.
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