Each year there are many Macomb County marriages that will end in divorce. Our goal with the SMILE. program (Start Making It Livable for Everyone) is to help families through this very difficult process, with as little emotional pain as possible. Divorce can be hard and traumatizing. Often the change it brings about can be difficult to accept. The SMILE program utilizes the experience of many parents that have already gone through the process of divorce and experienced the difficulties associated with it. It also utilizes the knowledge of many professionals who have worked with divorcing parents for decades.
Every family is different, as is their situation. The SMILE program itself may be very helpful, but we encourage you to reach out to other services if you need them. This includes support groups, legal help, psychological help, or any other resources that are available to you.
Parents who have a pending divorce in Macomb County receive a letter signed by their assigned judge inviting them to the next SMILE presentation (presentations occur once a month at Macomb Community College most often on the first Tuesday evening of the month). It is the expectation that parties will attend the presentation in person. If unable to do so however, the below SMILE videos are available to watch remotely. The first explains the functions and responsibilities of the Friend of the Court Office, as well as the services the FOC provides. The second is a video on the emotional effects a divorce has on a family and suggestions for navigating this difficult time. Should you be unable to attend the program in person, upon completion of the program (by watching the videos below), please fill out the certificate of participation and email it to
friendofthecourt@macombgov.org so we can make the Court aware of your participation.
Further questions regarding the SMILE program or resources available in your community may be obtained by calling CARE at (586)541-0033, or by visiting the CARE web-site at
www.careofsem.com.
Thank you for participating in this program.
Brian Nicholas
Macomb County Friend of the Court
What is the friend of the court?
Certificate of Participation
