The Trial Court’s best interest analysis in terminating Respondent-Father’s parental rights was “erroneously incomplete” due to the Trial Court’s failure to consider CJM’s placement with a “relative” as defined by MCL 712A.13a(1)(j) during the best interest determination.

The trial court wrongly held that the statutory grounds for jurisdiction over the child were established by a preponderance of the evidence.

Children in Michigan’s foster-care system have more protections under a bipartisan legislative package recently signed into law by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.