To: Dale K. Weighill, Governmental Operations Committee Chairperson
From: Jennifer Keillor, Friend of the Court
title
RE: Approval of a grant award from the State Court Administrative Office, in the amount of $20,000.00, to provide for supervised parenting time and exchanges at Genesee County's Friend of the Court
recommendation
BOARD ACTION REQUESTED:
The Friend of the Court is requesting approval to accept the Access and Visitation Grant from the State Court Administrative Office for the Fiscal Year ending in 2026.
BACKGROUND:
Every year, the State Court Administrative Office offers Access and Visitation Grant monies to Friend of the Court offices for the purposes of funding supervised parenting time and supervised exchanges of parenting time. The amount of the grant funding offered for FY 2026 is $20,000 and requires no match from the County.
DISCUSSION:
Supervised visitation services cannot be funded using the Title IV-D funding that funds the majority of Friend of the Court services. The Access and Visitation Grant is the only source of funding for these services through Friend of the Court. The Friend of the Court will be partnering with two agencies who are trained to provide supervised parenting time services, Family Matters and KIND. The Friend of the Court will be responsible for reviewing their invoices and assuring that both agencies are complying with the grant and contract requirements.
IMPACT ON HUMAN RESOURCES:
Friend of the Court staff review invoices and reports from the supervised visitation providers. No additional employees are required.
IMPACT ON BUDGET:
The Friend of the Court has a separate fund for supervised visitation. The fund will be set at $20,000. The Federal Participation Fund account is 2151-291.02-504.000. There will be no change in County appropriation.
IMPACT ON FACILITIES:
None.
IMPACT ON TECHNOLOGY:
None.
CONFORMITY TO COUNTY PRIORITIES:
Partnering with community agencies to provide children and parents with methods of safe access furthers the priority of creating healthy, livable, and safe communities. When families are provided with these services in an inclusive and collaborative way, it leads to Community Growth and Long-Term Financial Stability for all families in Genesee County.
resolution
TO THE HONORABLE CHAIRPERSON AND MEMBERS OF THE GENESEE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS, GENESEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:
BE IT RESOLVED, by this Board of County Commissioners of Genesee County, Michigan, that the request by the Friend of the Court to authorize accepting the Access and Visitation Grant and grant program contract, between the 7th Circuit Court and the Michigan State Court Administrative Office, in the amount of $20,000.00 for the period commencing when executed by the Parties through September 30, 2026, said grant to fund supervised parenting time and exchange services for the Friend of the Court, is approved (a copy of the memorandum request and supporting documentation being on file with the official records of the November 5, 2025 meeting of the Governmental Operations Committee of this Board), the Friend of the Court is authorized to execute the grant program contract, and the Chief Financial Officer is directed to make any necessary line item budget amendments.