Broken Arrow, OK asked in Family Law, Adoption and Child Custody for Alaska

Q: If my grandkids in Michigan are removed from their mother's care, her wish is to have them sent to me in Alaska.

Her wish is to have the kids placed with me and her step-father! What steps would we need to do to make this happen?

1 Lawyer Answer
Stefan Otterson
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Answered
  • Divorce Lawyer
  • Anchorage, AK
  • Licensed in Alaska

A: It sounds like the kids are already in the custody of the state in Michigan. That means you will have to work with their Child Protective Services office (CPS). Ask your daughter for the contact information for the assigned social worker and contact that person to let them know you are requesting placement with you. Michigan can't send a child to another state without the other state's permission, so there's a complicated process that has to occur before the move can be made. You'll need to keep the pressure on the social worker to start that process immediately, and to follow through.

Then you'll need to cooperate fully, providing any information or documentation that's requested without delay. If the CPS social worker doesn't move quickly enough, you may need to hire an attorney in Michigan to find out if court intervention would help. There is an expedited process that requires a court order, and state agencies are never motivated to do all the work required to get that order. You may have other rights under Michigan law, for which you'd need to consult a Michigan attorney with CPS experience.

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