MDHHS achieves core pillar in latest MISEP report by improving rate of permanency for children in foster care

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) announced that it has achieved one of the core pillars of the Modified Implementation, Sustainability and Exit Plan (MISEP) related to child permanency. The MISEP report published today documents improved permanency for children who entered foster care by addressing barriers many parents face as they work their way toward family reunification.

"The safety, stability and well-being of the children in our care remains a top priority," said Amy Epkey, MDHHS acting director. "Children thrive when they have consistent, caring adults in their lives. Permanency provides more than just placement - it provides a foundation of trust and support."

In the last monitoring report, which provides an update on improvements the department continues to make to Michigan's child welfare system, the court's monitors documents MDHHS's strategic plan to address identified barriers with a focus on ensuring adequate services, collaborative relationships with judicial partners and family engagement. The plan included:

Parental engagement: Early engagement with parents and caregivers, staff training on engagement services, reduced time to transition to unsupervised parenting time, and expanded options for parenting time through off-site parenting locations and additional hours.

Housing: The provision of funds to assist with housing and rent costs, connecting with community-based housing support, and referrals to MDHHS family resource specialists.

Mental health services: Active efforts to assist parents in obtaining services, ongoing meetings with Community Mental Health (CMH) on identified cases to streamline the referral process and involving clinical review teams.

Substance use: Early engagement of parents and referrals for intervention services, partnering with local CMH to streamline the referral process for treatment and referrals to community-based programs.

Based on this strategic plan and the improved permanency outcomes it generated, the department achieved the permanency commitment, which will be dismissed from court oversight.

Other key areas of progress noted as part of the latest MISEP reporting period of Jan. 1, 2025, to June 30, 2025, include:

Placing siblings together: During the reporting period, 84% of siblings who entered foster care placement at or near the same time were placed together, unless specified exceptions were met.

Sibling visitation: During the reporting period, 89.9% of children who had siblings in custody had at least monthly visits with their siblings who were placed elsewhere in foster care, exceeding the performance standard of 85%.

Medical and mental health examinations for children: During the reporting period, 85.2% of children had an initial medical and mental health examination within 30 days of the child's entry into foster care, meeting the MISEP goal in this area.

About MISEP:

Federal court monitors have been tracking progress since a 2008 settlement agreement following a 2006 lawsuit filed against the former Michigan Department of Human Services by Children's Rights. In 2019, the court approved the MISEP.

In January 2024, many requirements in the settlement agreement were eliminated with a stipulated order signed by Judge Nancy G. Edmunds because of the significant and sustained progress made by MDHHS in numerous areas.

In June 2026, the MDHHS filed a motion to terminate the MISEP, reflecting its belief that the department has made sustained progress and built durable systems to protect Michigan children.

To view the latest MISEP report, visit Michigan.gov/ChildWelfareAgreement.