Foster care in Michigan plays a vital role in protecting children and supporting families during times of crisis. With approximately 10,000 children currently in the foster care system, the need for safe, nurturing homes is both urgent and ongoing.
Foster care provides a temporary, stable environment for children who cannot remain safely with their families due to abuse, neglect, or other serious challenges. The primary goal is always reunification—helping families heal and rebuild so children can return home safely. When that’s not possible, foster care becomes a bridge to permanent, loving homes through adoption or guardianship.
Find more information about Fostering in Michigan on the MDHHS website.
Children in foster care in Michigan are protected by a set of rights designed to ensure their safety, dignity, and well-being while they are in out-of-home placements. These rights are outlined by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and must be explained to each child in an age-appropriate way within 30 days of entering care.
Based on those rights, the OCA has created age-appropriate resources for children, including a workbook and a coloring book, that describe their rights in a way that makes sense to them.
You can download or print the books below - use these printing instructions to help with the process!
This is geared towards young children in foster care and provides an age-appropriate description of their rights on coloring pages that match the context of the rights described. Click on the link to access the printable PDF version of the coloring book.
This is geared towards older youth in foster care and provides an age-appropriate description of their rights, as well as workbook-style spaces for notes, questions, and information they might find useful. Click on the link to access the printable PDF version of the workbook.
