MDHHS recognizes kinship caregivers and vital role they play to provide safe and loving homes

Kinship care helps children stay connected to family and communities

In honor of Kinship Care Month, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) recognizes Michigan's kinship caregivers for their commitment to caring for children and helping maintain family relationships, cultural identity, community connections and stability when families experience a crisis or barrier that prevents them from providing a safe, stable home environment.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has proclaimed September 2026 to be Kinship Care Month in Michigan to honor the important contributions of kinship caregivers and the critical role kinship care plays in child abuse prevention and family preservation.

"Kinship caregivers create a foundation of comfort and security for helping keep kids safe and families together. When children can stay with relatives or trusted adults they already know and love, they experience less trauma, greater stability and stronger outcomes," said Amy Epkey, acting director, MDHHS. "Kinship care is more than just a placement; it's a continuation of family, love, culture and community."

Kinship care is the full-time care, nurturing and protection of children by family members or other trusted adults while parents are unable to care for their children. Primary reasons families enter kinship care include substance abuse issues, financial hardship, death of a parent, child abuse or neglect, incarceration or other conditions that may inhibit a parent's ability to care for their children. Kinship care placements can occur when a child and family are involved with the Michigan foster care system or through informal arrangements made directly between a parent and caregiver.

Kinship care in Michigan

Approximately 63% of children in out-of-home foster care placements in Michigan are placed with relatives. MDHHS prioritizes kinship care whenever it is safe and appropriate to do so because research shows placing children with people they know can help decrease the amount of time spent in foster care and help prevent further separation and disruption by keeping children connected to their family, culture and community.

MDHHS kinship support and resources

The MDHHS Kinship Advisory Council brings together caregivers with lived experience, community partners, service providers, and state and local partners to advise MDHHS on the needs of kinship families both within and outside the child welfare system. The council helps identify gaps and barriers, strengthen coordination across programs and systems, and recommend strategies to better support kinship caregivers and the children in their care.

As part of its ongoing work with the council, MDHHS partnered with Chapin Hall, a policy research center, to conduct a statewide gaps and barriers analysis focused on the experiences and needs of Michigan kinship families. The project includes gathering input from caregivers and other key partners to better understand challenges kinship families experience accessing services and supports, and to develop recommendations for strengthening Michigan's system of support.

In July, MDHHS hosted the first-of-its-kind statewide Kinship Caregiver Conference, which brought together more than 200 caregivers for two days of learning, connection and support. The conference provided information and resources while creating opportunities to connect with other kinship caregivers.

Another key resource available to Michigan kinship families is the Kinship Navigator Program, provided through the Kinship Care Resource Center at Michigan State University in partnership with MDHHS. The program helps kinship caregivers across Michigan identify and connect with resources and supports based on their family's individual needs.

Additional information on kinship care and foster care support and resources can be found on the MDHHS website.