(1) A youth agency may receive and accept youths as public wards for purposes of care and rehabilitation. A youth agency shall accept a youth properly committed to it in accordance with law. Only 1 youth agency has responsibility for a youth at any time. The department shall not receive or accept youths as public wards for a county if that county is a county juvenile agency that assumed responsibility for public wards committed by the juvenile division of probate court, family division of circuit court, or court of general criminal jurisdiction for that county.
    (2) Custody of a public ward under this act is as follows:

Terms Used In Michigan Laws 803.303

  • County juvenile agency: means that term as defined in section 2 of the county juvenile agency act, 1998 PA 518, MCL 45. See Michigan Laws 803.302
  • Department: means the department of health and human services. See Michigan Laws 803.302
  • Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Probate: Proving a will
  • Public ward: means either of the following:
    (i) A youth accepted for care by a youth agency who is at least 12 years of age when committed to the youth agency by the juvenile division of the probate court or the family division of circuit court under section 18(1)(e) of chapter XIIA of the probate code of 1939, 1939 PA 288, MCL 712A. See Michigan Laws 803.302
  • state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, shall be construed to extend to and include the District of Columbia and the several territories belonging to the United States; and the words "United States" shall be construed to include the district and territories. See Michigan Laws 8.3o
  • Youth agency: means either the department or a county juvenile agency, whichever has responsibility over a public ward. See Michigan Laws 803.302
  •     (a) If the department accepts the youth or responsibility for the youth is transferred to the department as provided in section 2a, the state, represented by the department director or his or her designate, has custody from the time of acceptance until the youth is discharged from wardship under section 7 or responsibility for the youth is transferred to a county juvenile agency under section 2a.
        (b) If a county juvenile agency accepts the youth or responsibility for the youth is transferred to the county juvenile agency under section 2a, the county has custody from the time of acceptance or transfer until the youth is discharged from wardship under section 7 or responsibility for the youth is transferred to the department under section 2a. For custody purposes, the county is represented by the county department director designated by the following:
        (i) For a county that has adopted a charter under 1966 PA 293, MCL 45.501 to 45.521, the county executive or chief administrative officer.
        (ii) For a county that has adopted an optional unified form of county government under 1973 PA 139, MCL 45.551 to 45.573, the county executive or county manager.
        (iii) For a county not described in subparagraph (i) or (ii), the county board of commissioners.
        (3) If a public ward is placed in a residential facility other than his or her own home, the youth agency shall provide the youth’s food, clothing, housing, educational, medical, and treatment needs. The youth agency may consent to routine nonsurgical medical care or to emergency medical treatment of the youth, but consent for nonemergency elective surgery shall be given by the youth’s parent or legal guardian. If a public ward is placed in his or her own home, the youth agency shall provide counseling services and may establish reasonable conditions under which the youth will be permitted to remain in the home, but the youth’s parents retain all other parental rights and duties.