Wayne County Friend of the Court’s Outreach Within Reach

By Erin Lincoln, Interim Wayne County Friend of the Court Director and 3rd Circuit Deputy Court Administrator

Imagine navigating a 30-mile route from your home to your county’s friend of the court (FOC) office simply to get your child support questions answered. Could you do so using public transportation? Even with your own vehicle, would you have the money to pay $20 for parking? Do you know which items you can bring into the courthouse? Do you know whether or not you will be arrested when you appear at the FOC to have a question answered? These are uncertainties and fears that many clients of the Wayne County FOC face when seeking answers to their child support questions.

Friend of the Court Employee Seminar January 23-25, 2019

By Michigan Judicial Institute

Michigan Judicial Institute (MJI), in collaboration with the Friend of the Court Bureau (FOCB), is pleased to again offer a three-day seminar for friend of the court (FOC) staff.  You may register to attend day one, two, three, or all three days. 

Positive Office Culture – One Baby Step at a Time

By Carol Montavon Bealor, J.D., Director, Cass County Friend of the Court

In 2013, I left behind my law practice to serve as the attorney referee for the Cass County Friend of the Court (FOC). As you can imagine, I was a little nervous to be joining a new team, taking on a quasi-judicial position making important decisions for families and children. I didn’t know that the director of the Cass County FOC would be going on administrative leave on the first day I was on the job as the attorney referee and that I would be appointed as the new director two short months later.

Child Support Calculations: Self-coverage Cost Deduction

By Hon. Nancy L. Thane, Presiding Judge, Tuscola County Family Division

When the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) individual mandate to maintain health insurance self-coverage became effective in 2014, there was some question of whether or not the cost of coverage should be deducted from a parent’s income when figuring a child support obligation. Some jurisdictions decided that, as a mandatory condition of employment, the cost should be deducted from income, while others decided not to deduct the cost because a parent’s insurance costs were not previously allowed as a deduction when calculating support.

Spock or Simpson? Michigan’s Child Support Program Learns about Behavioral Economics

By Amy Lindholm, Management Analyst, Friend of the Court Bureau

Behavioral science stole the show at Partner Forum this year.

Office of Child Support Director Erin Frisch introduces the topic for Partner Forum 2018.

Child support professionals gathered at the Lansing Hall of Justice from friend of the court and prosecuting attorney offices across the state, as well as the Office of Child Support (OCS) and the SCAO Friend of the Court Bureau. Office of Child Support Director Erin Frisch introduced the day’s keynote speaker as one of her “favorite people in child support” because “he “always has an idea for how to change things and make them better.”

Make Way for Self-Service Reporting!

By Amy Gilmore, Performance Management Specialist, Office of Child Support

Business Objects database users in Michigan Friend of the Court (FOC) offices will soon be enjoying MiCSES case management data at their fingertips. Self-Service Reporting (SSR) is now officially underway with an approved charter.  The goal of the SSR project is to enable FOC workers to create, manage, and share reports of MiCSES data without having to engage central development staff for each report. SSR will help support counties moving to more data-based decision making by allowing them to obtain the data most relevant to them in a timely manner.

2018 Michigan Family Support Council Fall Conference

By Jeanette Miracle-Leshan, Chief Assistant Friend of the Court, Oakland County

The Michigan Family Support Council (MFSC) convened more than 500 child support professionals at its Fall Conference at beautiful Boyne Mountain from October 17 to 19, 2018.

New Google Group for Enforcement

By Paul Gehm, Management Analyst, State Court Administrative Office (SCAO)

Michigan’s child support enforcement professionals have gained a valuable tool and effective way to communicate with each other.  SCAO recently created an Enforcement Google Group to assist Michigan’s IV-D enforcement staff in a forum-type setting to discuss often nuanced and in-depth case scenarios.

Legal Corner - December 2018

"The Legal Corner" provides a summary of recent Michigan Supreme Court and Michigan Court of Appeals decisions relevant to the child support program, as well as recently released state memoranda.

Last Chance to Register for the Fall Michigan Family Support Council Conference

By Sheila Waldrop, President, Michigan Family Support Council

Boyne Mountain Resort, fall conference site.

There are a couple important changes to note for the 36th Annual Fall Michigan Family Support Council (MFSC) Conference:

1. This year the conference is being held at Boyne Mountain (1 Boyne Mountain Rd, Boyne Falls, MI 49713). In recent years the conference was held at nearby Boyne Highlands in Harbor Springs.
2. The Conference dates are a couple weeks later this year:  Wednesday, October 17 – Friday, October 19.  Register by October 1 to receive the registration discount.

Legal Corner - September 2018

"The Legal Corner" provides a summary of recent Michigan Supreme Court and Michigan Court of Appeals decisions relevant to the child support program, as well as recently released state memoranda.

Beyond the Numbers: Coaching ‘24/7 Dads’ in Van Buren County

By Aaron Rosecrans, Custody and Parenting Time Case Manager, and Abel Muñoz, Early Intervention Case Manager, Van Buren County Friend of the Court

The numbers behind fatherlessness are staggering. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 24 million children in America – one out of three – live without their biological father in the home. Research shows that when a child is raised in a father-absent home, he or she is more likely to experience behavioral problems, commit a crime, spend time in prison, face abuse and/or neglect, abuse drugs and/or alcohol, suffer from obesity, and drop out of school. In fact, girls who grow up without a father are seven times more likely to become pregnant as a teen, and they have twice the risk of infant mortality.

Abel Munoz (left) and Aaron Rosecrans (right), present the Van Buren FOC’s 24/7 Dads program session on co-parenting.

Building Family Resiliency in Wexford and Missaukee Counties

By Shelly Harwell, Social Service Technician, Wexford-Missaukee Friend of the Court

In July 2018, the Wexford-Missaukee Friend of the Court (FOC) was awarded a $40,000 competitive grant from the Michigan Masonic Charitable Foundation to expand our Family Resiliency Project over the next year. The objective of this project is to help families develop the self-reliance necessary to meet their court-ordered obligations, and to minimize toxic stress associated with separation and divorce, a common Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE).

County Clerks and Friends of the Court Working Together To Address Domestic Violence

By Tim Cole, Management Analyst, Friend of the Court Bureau and Stacy Westra, Management Analyst, Trial Court Services

Sadly, domestic violence occurs too often in domestic relations cases. Because of this, it is important that county clerk and friend of the court (FOC) offices work together to ensure a safe environment for domestic violence victims.

Office of Child Support Staff Attend Workshop on Systemic Racism

By Amy Coscarelli, Case Management Policy Analyst, Office of Child Support

Michigan Office of Child Support (OCS) staff recently attended “An Introductory Workshop on Systemic Racism,” which was conducted by members of Eliminating Racism & Creating/Celebrating Equity (ERACCE). ERACCE is an organization in Kalamazoo that provides training, workshops, consultation, and technical support on cultural competency and antiracist institutional organization throughout Michigan.[1]

‘Systemic racism’ refers to all of the policies and practices in institutions that can harm certain racial groups while helping others.

Navigating International Case Processing under the Hague Convention

By Elizabeth Stomski, Management Analyst, Friend of the Court Bureau

The Hague Convention of 2007 on the International Recovery of Child Support and Other Forms of Family Maintenance (“Convention”) came into force in the United States on January 1, 2017. 

Countries displayed in blue have signed the Hague Convention’s treaty on International Recovery of Child Support and Other Forms of Family Maintenance (as of September 2018).

Measuring Program Efforts and Successes: IV-D Contract Performance Standards Launch October 1, 2018

By Thomas Watson, Director, Berrien County Friend of the Court

The beginning of the upcoming fiscal year – October 1, 2018 – marks the date of implementation of the Contract Performance Standards (CPS) provision contained in the current Cooperative Reimbursement Program (CRP) grant contracts for all friend of the court (FOC) and prosecuting attorney (PA) offices statewide.

Culminating a lengthy development process involving a cross-section of all partners involved with Michigan’s Title IV-D Program, the CPS introduce realistic performance benchmarks in both the establishment and enforcement functional areas of child support while demonstrating the effectiveness of the program. The CPS are not intended to be punitive; rather, they are designed to focus on the successes of the program. They provide evidence of achievements of the many dedicated child support professionals serving the public.

Eight Years of EmPOWERing Parents through a Problem-Solving Court

By Stephanie Witucki, Chief Domestic Relations Referee, Third Judicial Circuit Court

Securing payment of child support by noncustodial parents is an important step toward engaging both parents to work together in parenting their child(ren).

Two POWER Court participants proudly display their certificates of completion as their accomplishments are recognized by 3rd Circuit Court Chief Judge Robert J. Colombo, Jr. (far left), Referee Stephanie Witucki (second from right), and Wayne County Friend of the Court Director Kent Weichmann (far right).

Alternative Contempt Track Probation Program Addresses ‘Frequent Flyers’

By Barb Self, Specialized Enforcement Officer, Allegan County Friend of the Court

The Allegan Friend of the Court’s Alternative Contempt Track (Allegan FOC ACT) program is designed to address the barriers some parents face which prevent them from being actively involved in their child(ren)’s lives and from financially supporting their child(ren).

Engaging Community Partners and Making an ‘Impact’

By Tony McDowell, Deputy Director, Genesee County Friend of the Court

Genesee County Friend of the Court's Tony McDowell (center)
speaks to fathers enrolled in the IMPACT program.

As court employees and child support professionals, we have a very specific skill set that we do well – we know the child support formula. We know the tools we have at our disposal to enforce a child support order, we understand the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA),[1] and we have a general understanding of the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act (UIFSA).[2] We can mediate, recommend, modify, enforce, and collect. All of these are important skills we can use to collect support, assist families, and improve the lives of our clients. However, sometimes we run into an area that, whether due to funding limitations or staffing limitations, is not in our skill set.

Keeping Michigan Families ‘Safe and Together’

By Tiffany Martinez, LMSW, Project Director, Michigan Domestic and Sexual Violence Prevention and Treatment Board

In 2015, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) entered into a formal contractual relationship with the Safe & Together Institute™ for the purposes of adding a domestic violence enhancement to the current child welfare practice model known as MiTEAM. In addition, the MDHHS is supporting certified Safe & Together trainers to provide training and support related to the MiTEAM Domestic Violence Enhancement to all public and private children’s protective services and foster care staff within the state.

Kent County Friend of the Court Creates Programs to Address Community Concerns

By Dan Fojtik, Director, Kent County Friend of the Court

During the past year, the Kent County Friend of the Court (FOC) experienced important changes starting with the assignment of two sheriff’s deputies to handle child support warrants.  That prompted objections from some community members, voicing concern about deputies making door-to-door arrests in the inner city.

Kent County FOC Responsible Parent Program caseworker Deb Martis
helps a payer navigate job searching at a designated work station.

Legal Corner - July 2018

"The Legal Corner" provides a summary of recent Michigan Supreme Court and Michigan Court of Appeals decisions relevant to the child support program, as well as recently released state memoranda.

Working Together to Improve Outcomes for Incarcerated Parents

Erin Frisch

Every year, the partners of Michigan’s child support program gather for “Partner Forum,” where representatives from friends of the court, prosecuting attorneys, the Office of Child Support, and the Friend of the Court Bureau (collectively, the “partners”) discuss, brainstorm, and strategize about key issues. On Wednesday, November 15, 2017, the partners met in Lansing at the Hall of Justice and spent the majority of the day talking about the overlap between corrections and child support – a topic that historically has not received much attention. 

The Office of Child Support director, Erin Frisch, welcomed everyone and set the tone by relating her own journey on the topic of incarcerated parents. Her view evolved from a feeling that incarcerated and formerly incarcerated parents should not receive special attention – to a realization that within this population lies an opportunity for the child support program to significantly improve upon its mission of “engaging parents to improve children’s lives.”

Cross-Court Obligation to Ensure Justice for Families

[Editor’s note: This is the second article in a three-part series focusing on continued improvements to cross-court understanding between state and tribal courts through education and collaboration.]

The first article in this series discussed how tribal courts can operate differently from state courts, the overlap in child support responsibilities between tribal and state courts, and profiled two tribal court chief judges who collaborate with nearby friend of the court (FOC) offices.

Retired Michigan Supreme Court Justice Michael Cavanagh said, “Our state courts can benefit greatly from becoming familiar with tribal court procedures and practices and the peacemaking model.”[1]

Following that wisdom, this article delves deeper into how tribal courts interact with their litigants and then explores one example of a strong partnership between a tribal court and a state court on child support matters.

Students Bring a Fresh Perspective to FOC Basics

By: Julie Vredeveld, Operations Unit Manager, Kent County Friend of the Court

Like many offices, we have struggled to find ways to provide parents with information about often complicated friend of the court (FOC) processes early in their case. We think we have found the answer by partnering with Grand Valley State University (GVSU) and Grand Rapids Public Schools (GRPS) to create a series of short animations that explain complicated FOC processes in a fun and easy-to-understand way. The animated videos are accessible from our Kent County FOC YouTube channel and posted on our website homepage, www.accesskent.com/foc.

GRPS middle school students share their final work product with their classmates. Also pictured: Kent County FOC Director Daniel Fojtik and Operations Unit Manager Julie Vredeveld (back row, center), GVSU Film & Video Production professor Suzanne Zack (front row, second from right), and GRPS teacher Jen Hall (front right).

Modernization Upgrade to Intergovernmental Child Support Forms

By: Andrew Moore, Intergovernmental Policy Analyst, Michigan Office of Child Support

Andrew Moore

Prior to this year, intergovernmental child support forms had not been revised substantially since 2000. In September 2014, Public Law (P.L.) 113-183, the “Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act,” passed, requiring states to enact any amendments to the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act “officially adopted as of September 30, 2008 by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws,” (UIFSA 2008).[1]

The federal Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) accepted public comments regarding possible forms revisions and subsequently convened a federal-state work group in 2014 to analyze options for revising the forms. The work group primarily sought to ensure that revisions to the intergovernmental forms comport with UIFSA 2008 as required by P.L. 113-183. The work group also identified several important opportunities for improvement – gleaned from public comments. These improvements included: protecting personally identifiable information; addressing modern family structures, such as a couple in a same-sex marriage, by changing terminology where practical (e.g., establishing parentage instead of paternity); and reflecting advancements in communication methods and technology.

Legal Corner - March 2018

"The Legal Corner" provides a summary of recent Michigan Supreme Court and Michigan Court of Appeals decisions relevant to the child support program, as well as recently released state memoranda.