April 2024: Celebration of Vital Records Month

WHEREAS, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is the primary record holder for all vital documents such as birth certificates, death certificates, marriage and divorce certificates; and,

WHEREAS, the MDHHS registers, preserves, and issues certified copies of vital records for people who experienced these important life events within our Great Lakes State; and,

WHEREAS, the critical services provided by MDHHS include maintaining birth, death, fetal death, marriage, and divorce certificates for important life events that occur in Michigan, with records dating back to 1867; and,

WHEREAS, the MDHHS maintains, for the purpose of research and advancing knowledge, the Birth Defects Registry and Cancer Registry for the State of Michigan; and,

WHEREAS, the critical documents housed in the MDHHS Division of Vital Records and Health Statistics are required by Michiganders to access several fundamental services and privileges; and, WHEREAS, April coincides with the first known directive identified by a public health attorney with (MDHHS Legal) establishing the collection and reporting of birth and death records for the state, with the work commencing between April 10 and June 1, 1869, and each year thereafter; and,

WHEREAS, Michigan’s dedicated civil servants have ensured and upheld the integrity of these documents for over 150 years;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Gretchen Whitmer, governor of Michigan, do hereby proclaim April 2024 as Celebration of Vital Records Month in Michigan.