Child welfare predictive analytics systems

Dear Mr. Feathers,

Thank you for your interest in public records of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (hereinafter “Department”).
Records Requested: To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Michigan Freedom of Information Act, I hereby request the following records:

1) Contracts with any company, nonprofit, or other entity that currently provides software to the department that includes predictive analytics models for child welfare (i.e., models designed to identify home placement risk, abuse risk, human trafficking risk, etc.). This should include contracts for CCWIS or comparable systems that include predictive models as well as project descriptions for any models created in-house.

2) Data dictionaries for all child welfare predictive models used by the department, including those provided by outside entities as well as in-house models. Data dictionaries are documents commonly created for predictive models and databases. They describe the categories of data that are inputs (age, gender, etc.) and outputs (risk level, etc.) of predictive models. They are equivalent to headers on a spreadsheet, and do not include actual data.

3) A list of all memorandums of understanding (MOUs) and/or data sharing agreements with state or local agencies for the provision of data that is incorporated into the department's child welfare predictive models. Should the department not maintain a list of these MOUs, I will accept copies of the MOUs themselves.

4) Any differential impact assessments, validation studies, or comparable documents that describe the accuracy of child welfare predictive models used by the department. This should include any documents that describe common measures of predictive accuracy, such as area under the curve (AUC).

5) All department policies, employee manuals, and guidelines describing how employees can and/or should use child welfare predictive models.

6) All governance board, committee, or outside expert reviews assessing the efficacy of the department's proposed or current child welfare predictive models.

Should you have questions regarding any aspect of this request, please don't hesitate to contact me.

I ask that all fees be waived as I am a journalist and intend to use the requested records to publish articles in the public interest. In the event you choose to impose fees, I request a detailed breakdown of the fees, including the hourly wage of each employ involved and an explanation justifying the employee hours required to fulfill the request.

Should you choose to reject this request or redact portions of it, I ask that you provide a detailed breakdown of the statutory exemptions and associated case law underlying your decision to withhold each/any portions from public review.

I would prefer the request be filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

Thank you very much for your help, and I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 5 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Todd Feathers

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Your request has been assigned the following tracking number: H011281-050321. Your request has a legally received date of May 04, 2021. You will receive a response by the Department by May 11, 2021. Unfortunately, we are unable to expedite requests and the time permitted for response by the Department may be extended beyond May 11, 2021 by ten (10) business days.
In accordance with the Michigan Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), MCL 15.231 et seq, the Department provides copies of existing non-exempt records. Records which are exempt from disclosure under state or federal law will not be provided, or records may be redacted to separate exempt information. The FOIA does not require the Department to create new records or answer queries.

Regards,
Bureau of Legal Affairs,
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services

RE: PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST , Reference # H011281-050321
Dear Mr. Todd Feathers,

This notice is issued in response to your request, legally received by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (Department) on May 04, 2021, requesting information under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), MCL 15.231 et seq.

In order to determine what responsive records the Department might have, it is necessary to extend the time for response permitted by MCL 15.235 §5(2)(d) until May 25, 2021.

The Department’s FOIA policies and procedures are available at Policies and Procedures. (https://u8387778.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=6HtRfOYLt5fXvpttM-2FU1HaFtNNmyyPuI7mapdSHta2mdU90sdmXOdywRCmv284-2BqZ-2Fa12QxJEPyjFTbfhTDRLcrfAKzD4MsFXeH1cAzp1NQ-3DKeJE_KVcDrTrsXT1ECvftpmHZSSTZJPWs-2FcWPRswcyFB6NOr8YfbbvRtqqiajnw9ANl0KKJuYMnANLzh5cfyPN2hn2lZI-2BdWY56zWOOAQWRel-2FlQSXXSlrLa1CGqLQ6RWtCh-2FABvoY0ccsAw5VnddsFYtbdBGujsJ-2B6ngwtrHIXYVHrUdWXKrZzduCf8vcgDijf8eB1ypNBeKCJWkVLI0wI4cHBlrExYmgHmVBMPUNQw5LeBo2lwaEk2WMKeilcaIZMSOTu0wNUzkwRn2ckrM8WaRYY4unrEthH75JdA-2FkIX5nRrXCDjgJ5vWoJLoNl1enMZFg6Jmcs0NUsCM6n87OvPnzmmcYxqPZIpe0Kd5q0gsYLRO4YQpdyyeE-2FNf7RTtL-2Btxpklo9CcH8KH2ppkLufKzdQ-3D-3D)


Sincerely,

Bureau of Legal Affairs,
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services

RE: Public Records Request, Reference # H011281-050321

Dear Mr. Feathers,

This notice is issued in response to your request, legally received by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (Department) on May 04, 2021, requesting information under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), MCL 15.231 et seq.

Your request is granted as to existing nonexempt records.

The Department has estimated the cost for searching, retrieval, and review of the requested records and separation of exempt and nonexempt information. The estimated cost of your FOIA request as well as the required deposit is stated in the invoice located in the MDHHS Public Records Center, where you may pay your invoice and deposit online. Upon payment of the deposit the Department will process your request. The required deposit must be received within 48 days from the date of this communication; otherwise, your request will be considered abandoned.

The Department’s best effort estimate for time to complete your request is thirty business days from the date the deposit is received. Once your FOIA request has been processed the Department will send you a final invoice, which may be more or less than the estimate. Payment must be received in full before records will be provided.

The Department’s FOIA policies and procedures are available at Policies and Procedures.

Sincerely,

Bureau of Legal Affairs