Opinion ID: 837290
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Permanency Planning

Text: The service plan must be updated every 90 days. [33] The court generally must review the case within 182 days of the child's removal and every 91 days thereafter during the first year of placement. [34] At each review hearing, the court must evaluate compliance with the service plan by the child's parent and the extent of progress made toward alleviating or mitigating the conditions that caused the child to be placed in foster care.... MCL 712A.19(6) and (7). The court may prescribe additional services or actions to be taken that are necessary to rectify the conditions that caused the child to be placed in foster care or to remain in foster care. MCL 712A.19(7)(a). [35] If a child remains in foster care and parental rights have not been terminated, the court must conduct a permanency planning hearing within one year of the child's removal. [36] Permanency planning hearings are governed by MCL 712A.19a and MCR 3.976. Under MCL 712A.19a(2), [r]easonable efforts to reunify the child and family must be made in all cases except those involving aggravated circumstances not present here. [37] At the permanency planning hearing, the court shall review the progress being made toward the child's return home or to show why the child should not be placed in the permanent custody of the court. MCL 712A.19a(3). If the court determines that the return of the child to his or her parent would not cause a substantial risk of harm to the child's life, physical health, or mental well-being, the court shall order the child returned to his or her parent. MCL 712A.19a(5). When making this determination, the court shall view the failure of the parent to substantially comply with the terms and conditions of the case service plan ... as evidence that return of the child to his or her parent would cause a substantial risk of harm.... MCL 712A.19a(5). [38] Under the version of MCL 712A.19a in effect during the proceedings in this case, if the court determined that the child should not be returned to his parent, the court was required to order the agency to initiate proceedings to terminate parental rights unless termination was clearly not in the child's best interests. If termination was not in the child's best interests, the court could consider alternative permanent placement, including ongoing foster care. [39]
The CFF notes that reunification is normally directed toward the home from which the child was removed but, where indicated, the focus may shift to the non-custodial parent's home. CFF 722-7, p. 2. The current CFF requires the foster care worker to complete family assessment/reassessment of needs and strengths forms to evaluate the presenting needs and strengths of each household with a legal right to the child(ren). CFF 722.8a, p. 1 (emphasis added). But if a parent is unable to be located, is incarcerated for more than two (2) years or refuses to participate, an assessment does not have to be completed. Id. To this end, the worker is required to document that he completed a diligent search for parent(s) with a legal right to the child(ren) through such things as statewide [Client Information Management System] inquiry, Secretary of State inquiry, search of telephone books, U.S. Post Office address search, follow up on leads provided by friends and relatives, legal publication, etc. and has been unable to locate. The parent(s) has not respond [sic] to mailings from the worker. [ Id. at 6.]