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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Provider Payments Information on the direct deposit of State of Michigan payments into a provider's bank account.
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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.
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A variety of reports & statistics for programs and services.
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January 09, 2006
January 9, 2006
To stress the importance of folic acid for health – especially women’s health – the Michigan Department of Community Health joins the National Council on Folic Acid (NCFA) in recognizing January 9 to 15 as National Folic Acid Awareness Week.
Adding folic acid to individual diets has added benefits for everyone’s health, said Dr. Kimberlydawn Wisdom, Michigan’s Surgeon General. New research suggests folic acid may also lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and certain types of cancer.
“We encourage everyone to get 400 micrograms of folic acid every day. The preliminary research findings are exciting, and we believe that taking adequate amounts of folic acid can be beneficial for men and women of all ages,” Wisdom said.
Folic acid is a B-vitamin necessary for proper cell growth. The U.S. Public Health Service recommends that all women of childbearing age get 400 micrograms of folic acid by taking a multivitamin daily, and eating fortified grains, plus a variety of foods as part of a healthy diet. All women of childbearing age should take folic acid daily to help prevent a pregnancy affected by a neural tube defect (NTD), a serious birth defect of the brain and spine.
Spina bifida, the most common NTD, is the leading cause of childhood paralysis and presents lifelong challenges for affected families. In Michigan, about 80 babies are born with an NTD every year. Nationwide, approximately 70,000 people are living with spina bifida.
Thanks to continuing advances in medical care, those with spina bifida are living longer and fuller lives than ever before.
“We know that taking 400 micrograms of folic acid before and very early in pregnancy helps prevent NTDs by up to 70 percent,” Wisdom said. “Since half of all pregnancies are not planned, it is essential that all women of childbearing age take folic acid daily to help prevent NTDs – even before they think of becoming pregnant.”
Once a woman has a child with an NTD, she should take a greater amount of folic acid, 4000 mcg or 4.0 mg to help prevent the recurrence of NTD in other pregnancies.
Despite the concerted efforts of organizations like the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), March of Dimes (MOD), and the Spina Bifida Association (SBA) to get the word out, there are fewer women taking folic acid supplements this year than last, a recent study shows.
To “B her best” a woman’s single most important step is to take a multivitamin with 400 mcg of folic acid every day. Emerging research shows folic acid may help lower the chance of other birth defects like cleft lip, cleft palate, and heart defects.
For more information about folic acid and National Folic Acid Awareness Week, please visit the Web site of the National Council on Folic Acid, www.folicacidinfo.org and Michigan Department of Community Health Genomics Resource site at www.migeneticsconnection.org. Click on Birth Defects and Folic Acid.