When Child Protection Comes
MCL 722.628 — an investigation commenced within 24 hours, and notice to the parent of contact with the child
Within 24 hours. Within 24 hours after receiving a report, the department refers it to the prosecuting attorney and local law enforcement where the act requires, or commences an investigation of the child suspected of being abused or neglected.
Contact with the child. Where the department contacts the child without parental consent because it finds access necessary, it notifies the person responsible for the child about that contact at the time, or as soon afterward as they can be reached, unless notice would compromise the child's safety.
A confirmed case. Within 30 days after a confirmed case is classified without placement on the central registry, the department notifies each named perpetrator in writing, by first-class mail, of the right to request amendment of the record and an administrative review, and that the record may affect future employment or licensing.
Removal of a child, emergency custody, and the court hearings that follow are set out in other parts of the law that are not on this page. What a particular investigation means for a family is a question for a licensed Michigan attorney.
Sources for this section (1)
- MCL 722.628 — Commencing investigation; informing parent; duties of department
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Michigan attorney.