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: Updates in Michigan Family Law

Assistance for grandparents and others providing kinship care

The Guardianship Assistance Act took effect in Michigan in April 2009 to assist grandparents and other relatives providing kinship care for their grandchildren, nieces, nephews, etc. Basically, it provides for DHS to work with relatives so that foster care is avoided for children whose parents cannot provide for care for them. Among other things, the Act require the DHS to pay up to $2,000 for the total cost of nonrecurring expenses associated with obtaining legal guardianship of an eligible child. * Revise the criteria for a child to be eligible for guardianship assistance. * Require a guardian to be a licensed foster parent and to undergo a criminal background check, and provide for a central registry to check for child abuse and neglect. * Allow the DHS to enter into a written, binding, guardianship assistance agreement with a prospective guardian. * Require the DHS to pay up to $2,000 for the total cost of nonrecurring expenses associated with obtaining legal guardianship of an eligible child. * Require the DHS, if a child?s permanency plan includes placement with a guardian and the receipt of guardianship assistance, to include in the case service plan the steps taken to determine that reunification or adoption is not appropriate.

Full post as published by Updates in Michigan Family Law on September 02, 2010 (boomark / email).