The Michigan Supreme Court is seeking nomination for two awards: the Maura D. Corrigan Foster Family Lifetime Achievement Award for exemplary service to Michigan’s children and families, and the Daniel J. Wright Lifetime Achievement Award to honor exceptional service to Michigan’s children.
The Maura D. Corrigan Foster Family Lifetime Achievement Award, sponsored by the Michigan Supreme Court, was established in honor of Justice Corrigan, who as chief justice, focused on streamlining the adoption process and helping more children find forever families. Corrigan, who also served as the head of Michigan’s Department of Human Services, is responsible for improving services to some of Michigan’s most vulnerable citizens and has been widely recognized for her dedication to child welfare.
“Foster parents step up to help because they love children and want to make a difference in their lives, but their efforts all too often go unrecognized,” said Chief Justice Bridget M. McCormack. “Every foster parent who provides a safe and loving home should be recognized, and this award honors those amazing moms and dads whose efforts are so extraordinary and remarkable that they inspire others to follow their lead.”
Nominations are open to foster parents who have a significant record of helping Michigan families and children.
The 2020 recipient was Veda Thompkins, director of Detroit-based “Families on the Move,” an organization that advocates for at-risk youth, birth families, foster and adoptive families. Thompkins, a foster mother herself, was appointed to Governor Snyder’s Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect, and advocates on the national, state, and local levels for political and social advocacy.
The Daniel J. Wright Lifetime Achievement Award, sponsored by the Michigan Supreme Court and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, is presented each year in conjunction with efforts to encourage and celebrate adoption. As part of its November Adoption Month initiative, the Supreme Court is urging courts statewide to raise awareness of the need for loving parents to adopt children in foster care.
The award was established in honor of the late Daniel J. Wright of Grand Ledge, a longtime leader in child support and child welfare reform. He was credited with the “Michigan Miracle” in 2002 when, as special assistant to then-Chief Justice Maura D. Corrigan, he led the state’s efforts to upgrade Michigan’s child support enforcement system by federally-mandated deadlines.
By meeting the deadlines, Wright saved the state $142 million in federal fines and earned the state a $36 million refund for fines it had already paid. Later, as director of the Friend of the Court Bureau and Child Welfare Services divisions of the State Court Administrative Office, Wright helped create the state’s “Adoption Forums” to deal with adoption barriers that were stranding children in foster care.
“Wright’s legacy and devotion to give foster children a greater voice in decisions affecting their own lives, continue to make a difference in the lives of children and inspired the Court in our work,” said McCormack. “Connecting children in foster care with safe and nurturing forever families is a goal shared by everyone in our justice system.”
Nominations are open to attorneys, judges, caseworkers, court staff, employees of public and private agencies, employees and members of nonprofits, and others who have a significant record of helping Michigan families and children. To be eligible, a nominee must have 10 years or more experience in the field and a record of achievements with demonstrable impact.
Previous recipients include:
• Judge Susan Dobrich, Cass County Courts – 2020
• Judge Laura Baird, Ingham County Circuit Court – 2019
• Judge Robert Butts, Cheboygan County Probate Court – 2018
• Judge Kenneth Tacoma, Wexford County Probate Court – 2017
• Judge Duncan Beagle, Genesee County Circuit Court – 2016
• Steve Yager, Executive Director Children’s Services Agency – 2015
• Jeff Albaugh, Calhoun County Friend of the Court – 2014
• Judge Dorene Allen, Midland County Probate Court – 2013
• Thomas Haskell, Crawford County Court Administrator – 2012
Completed nomination forms for the awards are due by Friday, October 15. Both the Corrigan Award recipient and the Wright Award recipient will be honored with a special virtual presentation at the Michigan Supreme Court’s 2021 Michigan Adoption Day event on November 23.
For questions or to receive a nomination form for either award, contact Ravynne Gilmore at Gilmorer@courts.mi.gov or at 517-373-1067 or Katy Todd at ToddK@courts.mi.gov or 517-373-2621.
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