"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.
Editor’s note: SCAO form updates and published opinion summaries have been published here with permission from the Michigan Judicial Institute’s “IMPACT” publication.
By Friend of the Court Bureau
By now it is common knowledge that many jobs have shifted since the COVID-19 pandemic began – a phenomenon referred to as “The Great Resignation.” The friend of the court (FOC) world has not been immune to such shifts. In fact, since our last article introducing new FOC directors in July 2019, the FOC director has changed in 21 offices, with at least three more to change early in 2022. We thought it was time to introduce some of these new or transplanted directors.
Education
and experience:
I have a background in family law as an attorney, and I always appreciated the opportunity to help people work through custody and other issues as they faced crossroads in their lives. I was working as the Assistant Prosecutor for Iron County when I applied for this position.
By Friend of the Court Bureau
The State Court Administrative Office Friend of the Court Bureau has been making an effort to elevate voices of parents who have experienced the child support program and learn from what they share. In 2020 and 2021, we hosted three webinar parent panels. Many child support professionals who attended these webinars offered suggestions for future expansion on these topics, which included hearing from parents who work within the Michigan Child Support Program and also have a child support case of their own.
By Kim Kerns, Administrative Assistant to Office of Child Support (OCS) Director; and Julie Vandenboom, OCS Program Re-engineering Specialist
In December 2020, Michigan requested a waiver from the
federal Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) to allow the use of IV-D
funds to pilot and evaluate an employment program for child support payers. The
program, called Learn, Earn, and Provide (LEAP), is a collaboration between the
Michigan Office of Child Support (OCS) and the Department of Labor and Economic
Opportunity (LEO). The waiver was granted for a two-year period which began
during the first fiscal quarter that funds were spent for the pilot.
By Hon. Maura D. Corrigan and Marcia M. McBrien
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| Daniel J. Wright |
There were—and are—plenty of reasons to love, honor, and miss the late Daniel J. Wright (1948-2012), attorney and former director of the Friend of the Court Bureau (FOCB) and Child Welfare Services division of the State Court Administrative Office (SCAO).
By Michigan Family Support Conference Board Members and Erin Lincoln, Wayne County Friend of the Court Director
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| Lisa Robinson being congratulated by former Chief Judge Robert J. Colombo at the 2018 Third Circuit Court Employee Recognition ceremony. |
By Tracey M. Bankhead, Muskegon County Family Court Counselor
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"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.
Editor’s note: Court rule updates, SCAO form updates, legislative activity, and published opinion summaries have been published here with permission from the Michigan Judicial Institute’s “IMPACT” publication.