Another Way Forward
My client already suffered from Crohn’s Disease, which hampered his ability to hold a job and resulted in frequent hospital visits, when tragedy struck. He and his wife lost their 22-year-old daughter, the burden of which was both emotional and financial, as they spend thousands of dollars for her cremation. As this was happening, he struggled to get his other children to school, as they were only able to attend school 75% of the time, compared to a county-wide attendance rate of 85%. Yet, both children remained on grade level and were not behind. Nevertheless, when Michigan’s child welfare agency investigated a referral about the family due to the school absences, they removed the children from their home, placed them with strangers. Going in and out of the hospital, my client struggled to participate in services. A year later, the child welfare agency asked the court to terminate his rights. The trial court agreed. But last month, the Michigan Supreme Cou...