Michigan's Women, Infants & Children program, providing supplemental nutrition, breastfeeding information, and other resources for healthy mothers & babies.
Information on the Family Independence Program, State Disability Assistance, SSI, Refugee, and other cash assistance.
If you cannot afford child care, payment assistance is available.
Children's Special Health Care Services information and FAQ's.
Information on assistance with home repairs, heat and utility bills, relocation, home ownership, burials, home energy, and eligibility requirements.
Information on the Food Assistance Program, eligibility requirements, and other food resources.
Information about the health care programs available through Medicaid and how to qualify.
Our migrant program works with a number of organizations to provide services for Michigan’s migrant and seasonal farmworkers.
A federal program which helps persons admitted into the U.S. as refugees to become self-sufficient after their arrival.
Universal caseload, or task-based processing, is a different way of handling public assistance cases.
Information on the Children's Protective Services Program, child abuse reporting procedures, and help for parents in caring for their children.
Information on adoption programs, adoption resources, locating birth parents and obtaining information from adoption records.
Information on Adult Protective Services, Independent Living Services, Adult Community Placement Services, and HIV/AIDS Support Services.
Information on child support services for participants and partners.
Programs for healthy children & families, including immunization, lead poisoning prevention, prenatal smoking cessation, and many others.
Information on the Children's Foster Care program and becoming a Foster Parent.
Information about the Michigan law that requires certain information be made available to a woman who is seeking an abortion at least 24 hours prior to the abortion procedure.
Information on treatment and services for juvenile offenders, success stories, and more.
Child Welfare Medical and Behavioral Health Resources
MDHHS and partners support a continuum of prevention services. The continuum is inclusive of primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention activities. Visit this page to learn more.
Information about injury and violence prevention programs in Michigan
Information on Safe Sleep for your baby, how to protect your baby's life.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services' (MDHHS) Environmental Health Bureau (EHB) uses the best available science to reduce, eliminate, or prevent harm from environmental, chemical, and physical hazards.
Resources and information to assist in assuring firearm safety for families in the state of Michigan.
The Division of Victim Services (DVS) provides a voice advocating for and responding to all victims of crime in Michigan. Learn more about DVS-funded programs and services, including Michigan’s 24/7, free, confidential, and anonymous domestic violence and sexual assault hotlines.
Medical Resources for Child Protection
Serves as liaison and provides funding to Michigan’s 45 local health departments.
Adult Behavioral Health & Developmental Disability Services
Multicultural Health
Prevention of diseases & conditions such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes and many others.
Information on communicable & chronic diseases.
Home to an array of public health programs, initiatives and interventions aimed at improving the health and well-being of women, infants, families and communities.
Birth, Death, Marriage and Divorce Records
Boards and Commissions
Bridge Card Participation Information on Electronic Benefits for clients and businesses, lists of participating retailers and ATMs, and QUEST.
Provider Payments Information on the direct deposit of State of Michigan payments into a provider's bank account.
Information on How to Bid, Requests for Proposals, forms and publications, contractor rates, and manuals.
Information & resources for Community and Faith-Based partners
Information on DHS Applications and Forms grouped by category.
State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP)
Health Care Providers
Licensing information for Adult Foster Care and Homes for the Aged, Child Day Care Facilities, Child Caring Institutions, Children's Foster Care Homes, Child Placing Agencies, Juvenile Court Operated Facilities and Children's or Adult Foster Care Camps.
Michigan Statewide Systems of Care
Information on the grant awarded for the State Innovation Model Proposal
Protect MiFamily -Title IV-E Waiver
Offers resources for agencies who operate the Weatherization Assistance Program in the state of Michigan
Information on resources in your community and volunteer recruitment and training, and services provided at local DHS offices.
Information is collected to monitor the general health and well-being of Michigan citizens.
Equal Opportunity, Legal Base, Laws and Reporting Welfare Fraud information.
A variety of reports & statistics for programs and services.
Search is currently unavailable. Please try again later.
The web Browser you are currently using is unsupported, and some features of this site may not work as intended. Please update to a modern browser such as Chrome, Firefox or Edge to experience all features Michigan.gov has to offer.
At 37 years old Jackie Gant was living in Chicago. She was an accomplished professional with a great job, good income, and opportunities to travel across the United States. Even with this success, Jackie still felt there was something missing from her life, but she didn’t know what.
Jackie’s parents encouraged her to seek out the deeper purpose she longed for in her life. The problem was that Jackie still didn’t know what that was. She had started an after-school program to support Native children and was really enjoying this work. After years of consideration, she made the decision to take a step back from her job to return to school. After completing a degree in Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counseling she was encouraged to apply for a graduate education program. She announced her departure from her job and accepted a place in the Harvard University Graduate School of Education. She was one step closer to her goal of becoming an advocate and working in the non-profit sector.
Jackie always had a desire to support vulnerable children and give back to her Native American Tribal Community, Oneida Nation of the Thames. As a teen, Jackie witnessed a family involved in a CPS matter, and the experience never left her memory, leading her to become interested in the Indian Child Welfare Act-1978. She felt the need to further her own personal knowledge of Indigenous children and their removal and decided to become a foster parent, to become part of the solution – of keeping kids close to their native community.
Jackie obtained her foster care license and received a call about a baby several weeks later. This baby was born with drugs in his system. Jackie knew he would need lots of love, attention, and specialty care, and sadly no family was available to care for him.
Damian is medically fragile; he suffers from an epileptic condition known as Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. Jackie has cared for Damian since he was 3 weeks old. When she first began fostering, many people asked her why she was willing to care for a child who had additional needs. Jackie ignored these hurtful comments and continued to care for Damian. His condition has brought him close to death several times, but Jackie says her Spiritual Creator gave her the strength to make it through these difficult seasons. She is a voice for her child, and she wants to help you find your voice for other children like Damian.
Jackie is strong and determined; she is an advocate. She loves her Tribal community and has given her life and heart to her son Damian. The love and support Jackie’s parents have given her throughout life is the same love Jackie has for her adopted son Damian. Jackie’s son Damian was her first and only foster placement; she now uses her foster parenting experience to help other families.
There are over 10,000 children in Michigan who need a safe and loving home. Some of those children are medically fragile, like Jackie’s son – and all of them need a voice. That voice could be you. If you do not feel fostering is right for you, maybe you can support and encourage a family member or friend who is choosing to welcome children in foster care into their home. Regardless of how you choose to serve, Jackie would encourage you to recognize the gifts and talents you have and actively seek out a way to help.
They need a voice – be their voice.
Many people become frustrated with “the system” for one reason or another. Instead of walking away, she acknowledged there is no perfect system, and she asked for the opportunity to bring about the changes she wanted to see. Jackie made connections with individuals involved in foster care and noted she would like to be a “Navigator” for families in the Native American community – her community. Jackie proudly shares the progress that has been made for the better over the last 10 years and invites you to join her in bringing about these changes.
If you, like Jackie, feel you can be an advocate for a medically fragile child who needs your voice and the support you can provide, Michigan Foster Care needs you. Wherever you see the need, Jackie encourages you to seize the opportunity to make the world a better place. If you choose to become a licensed foster parent, Jackie and the other Foster Care Navigators are always willing to take your call.