2023 Michigan Compiled Laws
Chapter 722 - Children
Act 260 of 2008 - Guardianship Assistance Act (722.871 - 722.881)
Section 722.875a - Permanency Plan Including Placement With Guardian and Receipt of Guardianship Assistance Payments; Information to Be Included in Case Service Plan.

Sec. 5a.

For a child whose permanency plan includes placement with a guardian and will include receiving guardianship assistance payments, the department, child placing agency, or tribal child welfare agency must include in the case service plan for the child all of the following:

(a) The steps that the department, child placing agency, or tribal child welfare agency has taken to determine that reunification and placing the child for adoption have been determined not to be in the child's best interest and ruled out as appropriate permanency options.

(b) The reason for any separation of siblings during placement.

(c) The reason a permanent placement through guardianship until the child reaches 18 years of age is in the child's best interest.

(d) The reason why reunification and adoption have or have not been ruled out.

(e) The efforts the department, child placing agency, or tribal child welfare agency has made to discuss adoption by the prospective guardian as a permanent alternative to legal guardianship and documentation of the reason the prospective guardian has chosen not to pursue adoption.

(f) In cases where the parental rights have not been terminated, the efforts the department, the child placing agency, or the tribal child welfare agency has made to discuss with the child's birth parent or parents the guardianship assistance arrangement, or the reasons why the efforts were not made.

History: Add. 2009, Act 15, Imd. Eff. Apr. 9, 2009 ;-- Am. 2015, Act 227, Imd. Eff. Dec. 17, 2015 ;-- Am. 2023, Act 68, Imd. Eff. July 12, 2023