Nov. 13, 2007-Mississippi plans a serious overhaul of its child welfare system to do more to protect the approximately 3,400 abused and neglected children in its care. Last week, the state settled a class action lawsuit spearheaded by the advocacy group Children's Rights by enacting a truly comprehensive reform plan.

The reforms include reducing workers' caseloads, raising reimbursement rates for foster parents, and ensuring that every child in foster care has at least two in-person visits with social workers per month. The state must also work to find permanent homes as quickly as possible, and provide kids medical and mental health care.

The five-year plan includes specific benchmarks and monitoring along the way.

For more information, see:

• Children's Rights

• State to Revamp Foster Care (Jackson Clarion-Ledger

• State Settles Foster Care Lawsuit, (Biloxi Sun Herald via Associated Press)

• AUDIO: State Reaches Settlement over Foster Care, Mississippi Public Broadcasting

• The Child Welfare League of America has state and national child welfare data