Foster care plays a crucial role in keeping children safe and supporting families during tough times. Right now, about 10,000 children in Michigan are in foster care—and the need for safe, loving homes is as urgent as ever.
Foster care offers kids a stable place to live when their families are facing serious challenges like abuse or neglect. The main goal is always to help families heal so children can return home safely. But when that’s not possible, foster care can lead to permanent, caring homes through adoption or guardianship.
Find more information about Fostering in Michigan on the MDHHS website.
If you're thinking about becoming a foster parent in Michigan—or you're already licensed and looking for support—the Foster Care Navigator Program (FCNP) is here to help. Whether you're just exploring the idea, in the middle of the licensure process, or ready to expand your network, FCNP offers guidance every step of the way. Navigators can walk you through how to get started, connect you with local agencies, help with paperwork, provide checklists, and answer your questions. Their website even includes a search tool to help you find agencies near you and prepare for GROW training and your home study.
Spaulding for Children is a private, non-profit agency that helps find and license foster parents to care for children who have experienced abuse or neglect and are part of Michigan’s child welfare system.
They offer a wide range of services to support both kids and families, including help with placements, case management, home visits, support groups, mentoring for youth, and guidance for parents. Services include a checklist to prepare, GROW training, and Empowerment Group meetings. Their goal is to create safe, nurturing environments where children can heal and grow.
In Michigan, children in foster care are protected by a set of rights that help ensure their safety, dignity, and well-being while living away from home. These rights are outlined by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and must be explained to each child in a way they can understand, within 30 days of entering care.
To help with this, the Office of Children’s Ombudsman (OCA) has created kid-friendly resources, including a workbook and a coloring book, that break down these rights in simple, age-appropriate language.
Need help printing? Check out the printing instructions to make the process easy!
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.
