Why Are We Not Protecting Our Most Vulnerable?
- Penny Lepley
- Oct 25
- 2 min read
I recently learned something that left me absolutely speechless. In the state of Michigan, people applying to work in respite homes or adult foster care homes — places that care for some of our most vulnerable residents — are not required to take a drug test. Not before hiring. Not after. No random screenings. Nothing.
Meanwhile, if you want to work as a correctional officer, where you supervise adults in prison, you must pass a drug test to get hired and submit to random testing while employed.
Why is there more oversight for those working with convicted criminals than for those caring for people who can’t speak up for themselves?
These homes often care for non-verbal adults, many with intellectual or developmental disabilities. They rely completely on staff to help them eat, bathe, communicate, and stay safe. Yet the state allows anyone — literally anyone — to be hired into these positions without verifying they’re sober, responsible, or safe to be around vulnerable adults.
It’s no secret that abuse and neglect already occur far too often in these settings. But when there are no drug testing requirements, we are practically inviting risk.
Even people who work in retail or operate heavy machinery face stricter screening than those responsible for human lives.
Families trust these programs because they believe there are protections in place. But most have no idea this loophole exists. Many would assume — and reasonably so — that employees caring for disabled adults would undergo the same screening as health care staff or corrections workers.
This lack of oversight sends a disturbing message: that the lives and safety of disabled adults are somehow less valued than others.
It’s time for Michigan lawmakers, licensing agencies, and care organizations to raise the standard.
***Require drug testing for all respite and adult foster care staff before hire.
***Implement random screenings just as other safety-sensitive industries do.
***Educate families about what’s required — and what isn’t — so they can ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS!!!
If we can mandate drug testing for those who guard inmates, surely we can do the same for those caring for the most defenseless among us.
Change starts with awareness.
Share this, talk about it, ask questions, and demand accountability. Vulnerable adults deserve better — and their families deserve peace of mind.
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