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Absent Without Legal Permission (AWOLP) Children

Children placed in foster care in Michigan who subsequently run away from that placement are deemed “Absent Without Legal Permission” or AWOLP. In November 19, 2002, the Michigan Supreme Court issued Administrative Order 2002-4 which required all circuit courts to develop a plan to locate and monitor AWOLP children, as well as report back to the Supreme Court on these cases. Plans were submitted by local administrative order.

AWOLP Case Reporting

    Initially, circuit courts reported their AWOLP statistics manually to SCAO. Fortunately, today a secure web-based application (AWOLP system) exists to allow for data collection and sharing for each AWOLP child in Michigan. The AWOLP system is managed by the State Court Administrative Office and is available through the Michigan Court Application Portal. Each circuit court has an administrator who may request access to the AWOLP system for court staff, as well as local Department of Human Services (DHS) and Purchase of Service (POS) workers.

    Each week a list of children recently designated as AWOLP is sent to SCAO. This list is uploaded into the AWOLP system, and an automated e-mail is sent to all AWOLP system users with new AWOLP children under their jurisdiction. All system users may then access the AWOLP record for each child and provide all pertinent data. It is this data that is used to create the multitude of reports that are available to users. AWOLP system users may only view the cases for his or her county. For example, a system user in Wayne County will not be able to view the AWOLP data for children in Ingham County.

AWOLP Training

    An AWOLP training held on October 21, 2010, provided examples of how one county uses both court and DHS staff to optimize its use of the AWOLP system. Staff provided recommendations on how the AWOLP system can make data sharing and preparation for AWOLP hearings significantly easier. Michigan State Police staff also provided information about how to ensure AWOLP children are entered into the Law Enforcement Information Network and the proper use of tools such as the Amber Alert.

    >> View the archived webcast.

    In a January 24, 2008 webcast to participants around the state, Michigan Supreme Court, State Court Administrative Office, Department of Human Services, and Federal Bureau of Investigation staff presented Children Missing from Care: AWOLP - An Update, focusing on Department of Human Services policies and procedures, the Innocence Lost National Initiative, and completion of the AWOLP reporting form.

    >>View the archived webcast.

    A best practices forum held September 8, 2006, focused on strategies to improve delivery of services to foster children and their families, as well as successful intervention strategies to reduce the number of children absent from placement. Efforts of Michigan Department of Human Services and Michigan State Police staff to locate AWOLP children were featured and there was candid facilitated discussion regarding issues, concerns, shared strategies, and ideas to improve practices to more effectively locate missing children and prevent children missing from care.

    >>View the archived webcast.

Memoranda and Best Practice Tips from SCAO

AWOLP Resources

    Department of Human Services
    • AWOLP Policy Summary and Bulletins
    • Child Locator Unit Staff Contact Information and Functions
    • Diligent Search, Uniform Crime Reporting System, LEIN Entry, and Suzanne's Law
    • National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
    • Amber Alert Criteria, A Child is Missing Program, and Missing Child Clearinghouses
    • Children Located Out-of-State
    • AWOLP Enhancements
    • AWOLP Checklist - Child Missing


    Federal Bureau of Investigation
    • Innocence Lost National Initiative
    • High Intensity Child Prostitution Areas
    • Child Prostitution Task Forces/Working Groups
    • Child Victims
    • Continuum of Victimization
    • Juveniles Arrested
    • Prostitution Venues
    • Successful Prosecutions and Major Cases Providing Intel
    • National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC)


    State Court Administrative Office
    • Completing the AWOLP Reporting Forms


    Guideline for Locating Children Missing in Mexico

Articles of Interest

Press Releases

Staff and Contact Information

Child Welfare Services
State Court Administrative Office
P.O. Box 30048
Lansing, MI 48909
(517) 373-8036
FAX (517) 373-8922

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