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.
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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) Division of Environmental Health (DEH) 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.
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Pertussis, also called whooping cough, is a respiratory illness caused by a type of bacteria called Bordetella pertussis.
Pertussis is very contagious.
Babies younger than 1 year old are at greatest risk for getting whooping cough and having severe complications from it.
If you have been immunized in the State of Michigan, you may be able to download your immunization record from the Michigan Care Improvement Registry (MCIR).
Visit the Michigan Immunization Portal to learn more or contact your healthcare provider.
Pertussis Vaccination
Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis: The Diseases & Vaccines (Children's Hospital of Philadelphia)
Whooping Cough (Pertussis) in Michigan (MDHHS)
Whooping Cough Vaccination (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
How Vaccines Work
Video: How Do Vaccines Work? (American Academy of Pediatrics)
Spanish version: ¿Cómo funcionan las vacunas? (American Academy of Pediatrics)
The best way to prevent pertussis is to get vaccinated. CDC recommends pertussis vaccination for everyone.
The vaccine for pertussis is part of the DTaP and TDaP vaccines, a combination vaccine that protects against diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis.
DTaP is given to younger children and TDaP is given to older children and adults.
The routine schedule for DTaP vaccination for children is 5 doses given at ages:
Get answers to frequently asked questions about pertussis and the vaccine used to prevent it.
Pertussis (Whooping Cough): Questions and Answers (immunize.org)
Ask The Experts About Vaccines: Pertussis (immunize.org)
Video: DTaP Vaccine - Vaccines and Your Baby (The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia)
Clear Answers and Smart Advice About Your Baby's Shots (immunize.org)
Pertussis is a notifiable disease. A notifiable disease is one that doctors must report to state or local public health officials.
Public health officials track some diseases because they can spread easily, are serious, or happen often.
Notifiable diseases in Michigan:Pertussis (whooping cough) is common in the United States, with frequent outbreaks.
Whooping cough cases are on the rise in 2024 in the U.S.
Video: Whooping Cough Cases Rising: What You Should Know (American Academy of Pediatrics)
Whooping Cough (Pertussis) in Michigan (MDHHS)
About Whooping Cough Outbreaks (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
It usually takes 5 to 10 days for symptoms to appear after exposure to the bacteria that cause whooping cough. Sometimes symptoms don't develop for as long as 3 weeks.
Whooping cough appears similar to a common cold early on. Healthcare providers often don't suspect or diagnose it until more severe symptoms appear.
Early symptoms
Can last for 1 to 2 weeks and usually include:
Later Symptoms
One to 2 weeks after the first symptoms start, people may develop paroxysms, known as coughing fits.
About Whooping Cough (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Transmission is usually person to person through
The bacteria that cause whooping cough spread easily from person to person through respiratory droplets in the air.
When a person with whooping cough sneezes or coughs, they release small particles with the bacteria in them. Other people can then breathe in the bacteria.
These bacteria can spread when people spend a lot of time together or share breathing space.
People can spread pertussis even if they don't have symptoms.