Sec. 115b.

(1) The department shall assume responsibility for all children committed to it by the juvenile division of the probate court, the family division of circuit court, or the court of general criminal jurisdiction under the youth rehabilitation services act, 1974 PA 150, MCL 803.301 to 803.309, and 1935 PA 220, MCL 400.201 to 400.214. The department may provide institutional care, supervision in the community, boarding care, halfway house care, and other children and youth services and programs necessary to meet the needs of those children or may obtain appropriate services from other state agencies, local public agencies, or private agencies, subject to section 115o. If the program of another state agency is considered to best serve the needs of the child, the other state agency shall give priority to the child.

(2) The department shall study and act upon a request for service as to, or a report received of, neglect, exploitation, abuse, cruelty, or abandonment of a child by a parent, guardian, custodian, or person serving in loco parentis, or a report concerning a child in need of protection. On the basis of the findings of the study, the department shall assure, if necessary, the provision of appropriate social services to the child, parent, guardian, custodian, or person serving in loco parentis, to reinforce and supplement the parental capabilities, so that the behavior or situation causing the problem is corrected or the child is otherwise protected. In assuring the provision of services and providing the services, the department shall encourage participation by other existing governmental units or licensed agencies and may contract with those agencies for the purchase of any service within the scope of this subsection. The department shall initiate action in an appropriate court if the conduct of a parent, guardian, or custodian requires. The department shall promulgate rules necessary for implementing the services authorized in this subsection. The rules shall include provision for local citizen participation in the program to assure local understanding, coordination, and cooperative action with other community resources. In the provision of services, there shall be maximum utilization of other public, private, and voluntary resources available within a community.

(3) If an agency or organization proposes to place for adoption, with a person domiciled in this state, a child who is a citizen of or resides in a country other than the United States or Canada, the department shall conduct, within 180 days after receipt of the request from the agency or organization, the investigation prescribed by section 46 of chapter X of the probate code of 1939, 1939 PA 288, MCL 710.46. In a county in which the department determines it to be more feasible both geographically and economically, the department may purchase the adoption services up to the actual cost of providing those services. The department shall charge parent fees prescribed by the legislature.

(4) The office is responsible for the development, interpretation, and dissemination of policy regarding departmental investigations requested or ordered by the probate court or the family division of circuit court under section 55(h) and the provision of foster care services authorized by this act. Foster care services shall include foster care of state wards, aid to dependent children foster care, foster care of wards of the family division of circuit court placed under the care and supervision of the department by order of the court, and voluntary parental placement of children in foster care.

(5) All rights to current, past due, and future support payable on behalf of a child committed to or under the supervision of the department and for whom the department is making state or federally funded foster care maintenance payments are assigned to the department while the child is receiving or benefiting from those payments. When the department ceases making foster care maintenance payments for the child, both of the following apply:

(a) Past due support that accrued under the assignment remains assigned to the department.

(b) The assignment of current and future support rights to the department ceases.

(6) The maximum amount of support the department may retain to reimburse the state, the federal government, or both for the cost of care shall not exceed the amount of foster care maintenance payments made from state or federal money, or both.

History: Add. 1978, Act 87, Eff. Apr. 1, 1978 ;-- Am. 1988, Act 75, Eff. Oct. 1, 1988 ;-- Am. 1998, Act 516, Imd. Eff. Jan. 12, 1999 ;-- Am. 2004, Act 193, Imd. Eff. July 8, 2004 Compiler's Notes: Section 3 of Act 75 of 1988 provides: “This amendatory act shall take effect June 1, 1988.” This section was amended by Act 178 of 1988 to read as follows: “This amendatory act shall take effect October 1, 1988.”For transfer of powers and duties of the Office of Children and Youth Services as a single-purpose entity within the Department of Social Services to the Department of Social Services, see E.R.O. No. 1991-8, compiled at MCL 400.221 of the Michigan Compiled Laws.Popular Name: Act 280