House Bill No. 4676

An Act to improve the standards for foster care and adoption services for children and their families in the State of Michigan.

Section 8b

This section of the Act specifies the requirements and policies that the Department of Health and Human Services must follow to ensure the quality of foster care for children in Michigan.

The Department is responsible for developing a policy called the "children's assurance of quality foster care policy." This policy will be implemented and made available to the public by the supervising agency.
Current and former children in foster care will have the opportunity to provide input in the development of the "children's assurance of quality foster care policy."
The policy must guarantee that children placed in foster care receive the following:
- Fair and equal treatment that follows state and federal laws.
- Placement with relatives and siblings when appropriate.
- Transition planning for housing, employment, education, and other necessary preparations for independent living.
- Ongoing contact and visits with parents, relatives, and friends, if permitted by the court.
- Access to advocacy services for children with disabilities.
- Enrollment in school within 5 days after placement or a placement change, unless there are special circumstances.
- Participation in extracurricular activities appropriate for their age and development.
- Placement in the most suitable environment for their needs.
- Access to necessary medical, emotional, psychological, psychiatric, and educational evaluations and treatments.
- Access to religious and cultural activities, considering the foster parent's availability and resources.
- Adequate provision of food, shelter, clothing, and other essential needs.
- Information regarding proposed placements, as appropriate for their age.
- A permanency plan to ensure a timely and appropriate placement or return home of the child.
- An education that prioritizes meeting graduation requirements and receiving educational records like any other student.
The Department must have a written policy describing the grievance procedure for children in foster care to address any perceived noncompliance with the "children's assurance of quality foster care policy." The policy must include information on how and where to file a grievance.
If a child in foster care believes that the policy is not being followed, they can file a grievance with the supervising agency. The agency must respond within 30 days with a plan to address the grievance. If the child disagrees with the response or does not receive a response, they may contact the department's office of family advocate.
If the grievance is not resolved with the help of the department's office of family advocate, the child can request their lawyer-guardian ad litem to petition the court for a solution.
The only remedy available under this section is injunctive relief.
The Department must implement the "children's assurance of quality foster care policy" by June 25, 2019.

Signed by the Governor.

Education: Other