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.
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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
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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.
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For as long as Sarah can remember, she felt called to open her home to children who need a safe and loving place. Sarah even discussed foster care on her first date with her husband, Dave. When Sarah and Dave decided to settle in Michigan, they purchased a house with enough rooms to welcome children in foster care. When asked about the biggest misconception in foster care, Sarah said she often hears people say, “I’d become too attached.” Sarah believes that attachment is a key point in fostering. When you open your home and love children, it is only natural to become attached to the children you care for.
Sarah shared that having a child reunite with their family is a joyous occasion. As a foster parent, it is an honor to provide children and their families with healing and support. Forming attachments may hurt, but when you welcome a child into your home it's natural to grow attached. Regardless of how long a child is with you, you can make the time they're away from their own family as positive and loving as possible.
The Humerickhouse family has fostered five children, adopted a daughter and are parents to a biological son. They keep their foster care license active as they recognize the need to support children in Michigan. When asked about her experience as a foster parent, Sarah responded enthusiastically, “I love it, I love it, I love it.”
When she started fostering, Sarah realized she had much to learn and began collecting available caregiver resources. She recognized that many foster parents would benefit from these resources but may not have time to find them. Sarah wanted to make a difference in her community. Sarah turned her goal of supporting foster families into an impactful non-profit, the Foster Families Navigation & Resource Center (FFNRC).
FFNRC provides resources to foster, adoption and kinship families. The non-profit aims to support the local community through events, support groups, resource materials, and more. Some of the services they currently offer include:
FFNRC has grown to four locations, recently opening a new location in Midland which brings resources closer to residents of Isabella, Midland, Clare, and Gladwin counties. Watch the WNEM 5 video feature to meet Sarah and see the new location.
As a foster parent, Sarah knows it can be challenging at times. She wants you to have the resources and support you need. Visit the Foster Families Navigation & Resource Center website to learn about services available to you.