Judge expands visitation, orders weekly drug testing in Lenawee County permanency review

The Lenawee County Probate & Juvenile Court on Oct. 19 held a permanency planning and second-review hearing for two children in foster care and left reunification as the permanency goal while expanding parenting time and ordering increased drug testing for the mother.

Presiding Judge (title listed in the record as the court) said the court would “grant request to expand visitation to include unsupervised” parenting time and ordered weekly drug screening for the mother as an accountability measure. The judge set a 90-day review for Jan. 20 at 11 a.m., found the child welfare agency in compliance with its obligations, and directed that the children remain in their current family placement.

The hearing combined case updates, testimony from a foster-care supervisor and a therapist, and argument by attorneys for both parents. Ashley Beach, a foster care supervisor for Foster Edge Solutions standing in for the assigned foster-care specialist, told the court that the father, identified in court as Mr. Long, had complied with his case plan, maintained stable housing and employment, completed supportive…