Court continues Lenawee County child-welfare review after worker urges adoption, cites safety concerns and positive drug screens

A Lenawee County Probate & Juvenile Court hearing on an ongoing child-welfare review was continued after a caseworker recommended changing the child's permanency goal to adoption and the court admitted several agency documents, including discharge paperwork that lists two positive drug screens for the child's mother.

Nicole Underwood, the lawyer serving as guardian ad litem for the minor child, told the court the child is "thriving" in a relative placement and that "her needs are being met. It continues to serve her best interest and is the least restrictive environment at this time." Underwood said the child is still too young to express a placement preference.

Macy Moore, a foster-care worker with Catholic Charities, testified she recommends switching the permanency plan to adoption and "dropping the guardianship," citing the child's time in care and ongoing barriers to reunification. "This child has been in care since 06/21/2024," Moore said when asked about the length of custody. Moore told the court the case has shown continued barriers to reunification, including substance use, mental-health and domestic-violence histories and unstable housing and transportation.

Moore described a recent incident in which the mother took the child to a third party's home during unsupervised parenting time. Moore said that visit raised safety concerns because the child was at Matthew Wright's residence without prior notice to the worker and Wright has "not participated moving forward with his case service plan" and his housing status is "unknown." Moore told the court she perceived text messages from Wright to be threatening and said she plans to take an additional staff member to any future in-person meetings with either parent.

Moore also reported receiving discharge paperwork from Odyssey House that noted two positive methamphetamine screens for the mother, one dated 05/15/2025 and another dated 07/15/2025. Moore said she requested clarification from Odyssey House staff but had not yet obtained a phone call back from the clinician named in the record.

Mother Christina Lemley, under oath, told the court she refused a requested drug screen on the day her parenting time was changed to supervised and acknowledged she had earlier positive screens reported in discharge paperwork. Lemley said she disagreed with taking the child to Wright's home and explained the visit was intended to "acclimate" her dog to the child; she repeatedly said she has worked on substance-use treatment, describing residential and outpatient programs and disputing the characterization of some discharge records. "I did refuse it. Yes," Lemley said when asked about the drug test.

Counsel for the department, Sasha Thomas, and the mother's attorney, Michael McFarland, questioned witnesses about what occurred during the parenting time, whether required insurance for a rental vehicle was in effect at the time of an accident involving the mother, and about the mother's access to transportation for regular visits. Moore said the agency has offered $25 gas cards to help the mother travel from Saginaw but that public transportation or reliable rides have been a barrier.

The court received into evidence the agency court report and a second exhibit containing messages from Matthew Wright to the worker. Later in the hearing the court admitted a discharge summary and transition plan from Odyssey House as rebuttal evidence after attorneys reviewed the document in court.

No final determination on permanency or termination of parental rights was made at the hearing. The presiding judge continued the matter and scheduled the next hearing for Tuesday, Oct. 14, at 1:00 p.m., and asked parties to be prepared to call additional witnesses, including the clinician who produced the discharge paperwork.

The record shows the court emphasized compliance with prior orders and warned parties that threatening communications would not be tolerated. All prior orders were continued in full force and effect until the next hearing.