Court allows supervised and unsupervised parenting time as father progresses toward reunification

At a third review and permanency planning hearing in Lenawee County Probate & Juvenile Court, the judge accepted the department's court report and authorized both supervised and unsupervised parenting time for Charles Thomas Sherwood while children remain placed with nonrespondent caregivers. The court asked the department to follow the therapist's recommendations for the oldest child and set the next review for July 22 at 1:30 p.m.

The decision followed testimony from social worker Christopher Farian, the department's counsel Sasha Thomas, the children's guardian ad litem Carson Howard, the juvenile's attorney Michael Brooks and the children's father, Charles Thomas Sherwood. Farian told the court the department filed a court report with attachments including a Parkside report and a therapeutic-visitation closing summary; all documents were received into the record without objection.

The judge said the —2goal of reunification is clearly supported by the reasonable efforts—2 described in the department report and by service providers, and therefore authorized a progression to supervised and unsupervised parenting time to test reunification while preserves current placements.

Discussion: providers and…