LANSING, Mich. — Members of the Child Protective Legal Representation Task Force released a report Tuesday that addresses disparities in child protective proceedings.
The report recommends legislators establish a statewide parent and child legal representation office.
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It also recommends the establishment of attorney compensation, training standards and caseload caps, access to expert witnesses, and appoint parent attorneys and legal representatives to advocate for the child during the proceedings.
“For us to be effective, we have to rely on the information that is given to us, I don’t have a crystal ball, I have to make my decisions based on the facts and information that is brought to me,” Calhoun County 37th District Court Judge Tina Yost-Johnson said. “If we do not have quality legal representation, then those facts are not brought to me. To know that I am making the right decision is key in knowing that families are getting their proper day in court.”…