Sec. 5a.
For a child whose permanency plan includes placement with a guardian and will include the receipt of guardianship assistance payments, the department shall include in the case service plan for the child all of the following:
(a) The steps that the child placing agency or the department has taken to determine that reunification and placing the child for adoption are not appropriate permanency options.
(b) The reason for any separation of siblings during placement.
(c) The reason a permanent placement through guardianship is in the child's best interest.
(d) The way in which the child meets the eligibility criteria for a guardianship assistance payment.
(e) The efforts the child placing agency or the department has made to discuss adoption by the prospective guardian as a permanent alternative to legal guardianship and documentation of the reasons the prospective guardian has chosen not to pursue adoption.
(f) In cases where the parental rights have not been terminated, the efforts the department has made to discuss with the child's birth parent or parents the guardianship assistance arrangement, or the reasons why the efforts were not made.
History: Add. 2009, Act 15, Imd. Eff. Apr. 9, 2009 ;-- Am. 2015, Act 227, Imd. Eff. Dec. 17, 2015