Learn about Federal changes to Medicaid and Food Assistance Programs..
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.
Information, sources of data and resources to support Firearm Injury Prevention efforts across the state of Michigan.
Medical Resources for Child Protection
Serves as liaison and provides funding to Michigan’s 45 local health departments.
Adult Behavioral Health & Developmental Disability Services
Information and resources for development of Plans of Safe Care.
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.
What do you want to be when you grow up? It is a question every child is asked as they grow. It can be difficult for youth who haven’t yet experienced lots of things in the community to answer that question. Often youth get overwhelmed by the variety of messages they get, so they answer with whatever they think the person asking wants to hear.
There are lots of tools youth, school personnel, and their families can use to help weigh the options. Two of these include:
Whether you graduate with a certificate of completion or a diploma is a decision that should be discussed early on in your life. It is best practice to begin talking about this decision before you enter high school. You have several options:
The Michigan Merit Curriculum is a statewide set of standards, including the EDP, that a youth must complete to earn a diploma, in addition to standards set by the local school district. All public high schools and charter academies in Michigan must follow the Michigan Merit Curriculum.
The Michigan Merit Curriculum consists of:
In Michigan, a Personal Curriculum (PC) makes credit modifications to the Michigan Merit Curriculum possible and allows students to individualize the rigor and relevance of their educational experience within their potential. All youth in Michigan have the right to explore options in a personal curriculum, and youth with IEPs may discuss this possibility with their IEP team.
In Michigan, youth with IEPs may also be eligible to continue working toward a diploma until age 26. If a youth needs extra time to earn a high school diploma, this should be discussed with the IEP team. There are multiple paths that can lead to a diploma. The intent of the Michigan Department of Education is to make a diploma accessible for as many youths as possible.
In Michigan, all 7th and 8th grade youth are required to create an Educational Development Plan (EDP), with assistance from a school counselor. An EDP identifies the youth’s preferred career path and a plan of action to achieve that goal. This information is then used to establish the youth’s Course of Study in high school.
The Michigan Department of Education has a Frequently Asked Questions page about EDPs and graduation requirements.
Course of Study is a transition service provided to all youth, with and without disabilities. Course of Study means not only the type of classes, such as Career and Technical Education (CTE) or performing arts or STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math), but it also means whether or not you exit school with a diploma.
Another option for course of study is to exit high school without a diploma. This is widely referred to as obtaining a Certificate of Completion, or Certificate of Attendance, or Certificate of Achievement. There is no established curriculum for exiting school without a diploma. Your post- secondary goals, in your transition plan, drive course selections and all activities in school. For example, you might choose a cooking and nutrition class, photography, or financial literacy.
Youth with IEPs who do not earn a diploma may remain eligible for school services in Michigan up to age 26. Career and Technical Education (CTE) can also be a part of the youth's course of study even if they are not earning a diploma. These are all topics to discuss with the IEP team.
Some youth have an interest in joining the military. Although the military screens for chronic health conditions as part of the recruitment process, youth with some types of disabilities may still be eligible for service. Local recruiting centers have more information about the eligibility process.
Here is a short list of possible paths for students after high school:
Options include:
Contact: Local ISD special education office or Adult Education office.
Options include:
Contact: Michigan Community College Association.
Options include:
Contact: More than 30 universities offer degree programs statewide. Non-degree life skills programs.
Options include:
Contacts:
Options and contacts: Paid vocational training with an on-site mentor.
Options include:
Contacts:
For more information, visit the PACER National Parent Center.
A small business is a business that a person owns and runs. It provides goods, like crafts, baked goods, or services like lawn care or pet sitting.
A microenterprise is a very small business owned by a person with a disability. It usually has only one or two workers (you and maybe one support person). There are many positives about Microenterprises, for example: you can be your own boss and choose a business that fits your skills. Microenterprises are a great way to turn your skills and passions into making money!
More Examples of Small Businesses or Microenterprises:
The first step is choosing your business idea. Think about what you love to do and what you’re good at. You can ask yourself: What am I good at? What do people need help with? What do I enjoy doing? Then, communicate your plan to the people who support you. When you are ready to put your idea into writing, answer the following questions:
You don’t have to run the business you choose all on your own, you can get help from others. You can ask family, friends, teachers, or hire a staff to help you write your plan. They can give advice, help with transportation, getting supplies, figuring out costs, and supporting you as you start your business.
When you set up your business, you will need to decide where you will work (at home, online, or in the community). You may have to get tools or equipment you need to run your business. You will also need to market your business. Marketing means spreading the word and telling people about your business. There are lots of ways to do this like making posters, printing business cards, or posting on your social media pages.
When you are ready to open for business, be friendly and helpful to your customers. It is important to keep track of money going out and coming in; you may need to report this for taxes and benefits like Social Security.
Provides counseling, training, and research for startups and existing small businesses. They offer specialized resources for underrepresented entrepreneurs.
Learn more about the Michigan Small Business Development Center.
Southeast Michigan Chapter Experienced business professionals can guide you through the startup process.
Provides various programs and services to support small businesses, including funding opportunities and microbusiness support.
Offers loans ranging from $5,000 to $50,000 to individuals with disabilities and other underserved communities in Detroit, Hamtramck, and Highland Park.
A program that assists individuals with disabilities in starting their own businesses.
A $125 million program providing grants for businesses that did not qualify or apply for other incentives, like the federal Paycheck Protection Program.
Learn more about the Michigan Microenterprise Support Initiative.
Operated by the Michigan Bureau of Services for Blind Persons, BEP provides individuals who are blind with opportunities to run small businesses, particularly in food service facilities.
Offered by the Michigan Small Business Development Center (SBDC), this program provides resources and training specifically for underrepresented small businesses, including materials available in Spanish.
Learn more about the Uplift Michigan Business Development Program.
Provides loans and grants to support microenterprises in rural areas of Michigan. Grants are available to provide technical assistance to rural micro-entrepreneurs or microenterprises, up to $100,000 annually.
Learn more about the Rural Microenterprise Assistance Program.