On Tuesday, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced the new state budget will help the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) improve and increase support for foster parents.
“The bipartisan budget I signed a few weeks ago will put more money in the pockets of foster parents so they can pay the bills and put food on the table while caring for their foster kids,” said Whitmer. “Foster families work hard to care for their children and we must have their backs. The budget boosts the resources they receive so we can keep children safe and healthy.”
The funding is part of MDHHS' overall effort to address the shortage of foster parents in Michigan and provide additional support for foster youth with higher behavioral health needs.
“Right now, about two-thirds of foster parents quit fostering within one to two years, a fact that places new stress on a system that already badly needs more loving, caring foster parents,” said MDHHS Director Elizabeth Hertel. “Through providing more money to foster parents while also giving them a break, we continue to do everything in our power to make Michigan the safest place in America to raise kids and nurture families.”
Respite care services can vary depending on the unique needs of the foster parent and child and are used to provide short-term relief to primary caregivers of children while they are cared for by respite care families. Instead of foster parents needing to use their daily board and care rate per diem to go toward the cost of respite care, this new program will have an annual budget allocation of $10 million annually to go directly to respite care providers and gives foster families additional support.
“Unfortunately, money and time are, too often, the biggest barriers to loving and caring families welcoming children into their homes. This funding increase and respite care program address both of those issues,” said Lara Bouse, executive director of Fostering Forward Michigan, a coalition that represents foster, kinship and adoptive parents in Michigan. “Foster parents are heroic, and right now, we simply don’t have enough people willing to change lives with this commitment. We are so grateful to the state legislature and governor for supporting the MDHHS’s goals of keeping kids safe and keeping families together.”
Foster parent Sarah Bacheller of Livingston County said the additional financial support will help her make sure the boys in her care can have the same experiences as other children – whether it’s trips to Detroit, West Michigan or up north, or buying school pictures or yearbooks.
“Any increase helps go toward providing a similar level of normalcy that their peers get on a normal basis,” said Bacheller, who has fostered more than 30 boys. “You don’t do it for the money. You do it to help these kids out. But any increase helps take the financial burden of all the extras – beyond food and clothing – off of the foster parents. I think if the burden is reduced and eliminated, you might get more people willing to get licensed and open their homes for these amazing kids.”
As one of the most requested forms of support from foster families, the department will focus on contracting and building agencies that recruit and fill the need for respite care providers across the state, offering a half-day rate for providing care for 12 hours or less and a full-day rate with an overnight option.
As part of the department's work to address the shortage of foster parents by decreasing stress and increasing support, the budget allocation for daily payments to foster parents was raised for the second consecutive year, this time by 8% bringing the rate for caregivers of youth up to age 12, approximately $670.00 a month, for youth age 13 and older, $800.00 a month and for youth living independently (age 18 or older who still receive foster care assistance), $825.00 a month. This expanded allocation is in addition to the 20% increase in rates paid to foster parents, independent living providers, relatives, and adoptive parents and guardians in 2022.
Marquette County Probate Court Judge Cheryl L. Hill played a critical role in advocating for MDHHS’ request for additional funding to keep Michigan competitive with other states' budget allocations.
“The additional funds in the fiscal year 2024 budget along with increases approved last year help our foster families continue to provide loving homes to our most vulnerable and precious resource – the children of Michigan,” Hill said. “We still have a critical need for loving foster homes in Michigan. Being a foster parent is rewarding, but it is hard work. Any support we can provide to these special families who give so much of themselves should be encouraged. The money allocated in the budget is truly an investment in the future success of the children of the State of Michigan.”
Both process and policy updates are a part of MDHHS’ larger actions to keep kids safe and promote foster parent recruitment and retention. To view the latest on how the department is supporting foster families, visit the MDHHS foster care website at www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/adult-child-serv/foster-care or call 855-MICHKIDS to learn more.
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