Other Resources

The Michigan State University School of Social Work Continuing Education program has many online child welfare webinars available at no cost to the general public.

A collaborative group of Foster Care, Adoption and Kinship program professionals host an annual conference for families, which has been recorded and is available for your review here.

• Reporting Suspected Child Abuse or Neglect
  If you suspect abuse or neglect, call 855-444-3911 any time day or night. This toll-free phone number allows you to report abuse or neglect of any child or adult.
• Mandated Reporters
  If you are a mandated reporter, these pamphlets can guide you through the process.

• Department of Health & Human Services MDHHS/FIA
  The Department of Human Services is Michigan's agency for public assistance for children and families

• Social Security Administration
  The Social Security Administration works to advance the economic security of the American people. This site provides information about benefits, how to request a new Medicare card, apply for extra help with Medicare prescription drug costs, and more.

• Tri-County Office on Aging-Kinship Respite Program
  The Tri-County Office serves Inhgam, Eaton, and Clinton county senior citizens to refer them to resources and services in the area. Meals on Wheels information is also available. The Tri-County Office on Aging has a respite program for grandparent caregivers for children in Ingham, Eaton, and Clinton counties.

• Healthy Kids
  Healthy Kids provides Medicaid coverage and support service to pregnant women, children, and babies less than 19 years of age who qualify. This site explains the health care coverage, other services offered, and the application process.

• MIChild
  MIChild is a health insurance program for uninsured children in Michigan.

• Healthy Kids Dental
  The Healthy Kids Dental project is a Medicaid public-private partnership between the Michigan Department of Community Health and Delta Dental Plan of Michigan to provide Medicaid dental benefit in 37 counties to children and teenagers under the age of 21. For more information contact the Michigan Department of Community Mental Health at (517) 335-5129.

• Other Health and Dental Care Programs
  For additional listings of free-Reduced Priced Health and Dental Health coverage, please visit http://www.fcomi.org/index.html or call the center.

• Children's Special Health Care Services (CSHCS)
  The Department of Community Health oversees Children's Special Health Care Services. The program provides services to children and some adults who have special health care needs and their families.

• Immunization
  This site provides educational materials on the different types of vaccines for children of all ages. Information about adult immunization is also available.

• State Funded Health Programs
  There are a number of health programs in Michigan available to eligible children, adults, and families. This website contains a comprehensive list of all of the health programs in Michigan, complete with coverage and qualification information.

• Chance at Childhood
  Through Michigan State University, Chance at Childhood wishes to promote the welfare of children and families. This program ensures children in the court system have a voice and families with legal issues are supported.
• Michigan Special Education Mediation Program
  The MSEMP (formerly Dispute Resolution Education Resources) website is designed to help educators and parents learn about ways of resolving special education disputes in a collaborative fashion; it can be used to link people with dispute resolution centers, private mediators, and conflict resolution training. Its goal is to help parents, educators, and service providers develop productive relationships for resolving issues in early intervention and special education so that children with disabilities promptly receive the services they need to develop and succeed in school.Phone: 1-800-8RESOLVE (1-800-737-6583)
  More information about the alternative of community mediation here>

• Elder Law of Michigan Inc.
  The mission of Elder Law of Michigan, Inc. is to promote and protect the rights, health and economic well-being of people as they age or are disabled by providing information, advocacy, legal advice and professional services.

• Grandparents Rights Organization
  The Grandparents Rights Organization is a national non-profit organization based in Michigan that educates and support grandparents and grandchildren. They work to preserve the relationship between grandparents and grandchildren that may be threatened following a divorce, a death, or when a child is born out of wedlock.
• Michigan Legal Help
  The Michigan Legal Help (formerly Michigan Legal Aid) website was created to help people who have to handle simple civil legal problems without a lawyer. There are articles you can read to learn about a specific area of the law and toolkits to help you prepare to represent yourself in court.
• Michigan Protection and Advocacy Services
  The Michigan Protection and Advocacy Services provides information relating to disability, including discrimination, abuse and neglect, Social Security, housing, and more.
• Office of Dispute Resolutions
  The Office of Dispute Resolutions offers alternatives to resolving conflict, including free or low cost mediation services. Court forms, court fees or fines, and the foster care review board program can be found on this website.
• Sixty-Plus Inc. Elder Law-Thomas Cooley Law School
  Sixty-Plus Inc. is the Thomas Cooley Law School's client elder law clinic. They interview, counsel, represent, and advocate for people who are older than sixty.
• The Michigan Bar Association
  The Michigan Bar Association informs the public of the most recent news, events, justice initiatives, and legal programs.

• General Parental Power of Attorney Kit

• Power of Attorney Form for Relative Caregivers for Children Temporary Authorization for Kinship Care Kit (54KB, MS Word Doc)

• Power of Attorney Form for Relative Caregivers for Children Temporary Authorization for Kinship Care Kit (182KB, PDF)

• Ele's Place
  Ele's Place assists grieving children and families through peer support programs. Ele's Place services the greater Lansing and Ann Arbor areas.
• Michigan Department of Community Health
  The Michigan Department of Community Health website offers a variety of resources including health care coverage, birth, death, marriage, and divorce records, health care information, smoking cessation programs, locations of health facilities, and online training programs.

• Red Cross Website Links for Michigan Counties
  The Red Cross provides food assistance, health and safety training, programs for youth, assistance to military families, and much more. This site links individuals to specific Red Cross chapters in Michigan.
• Salvation Army in the Midwest
  The Salvation Army provides services, donations, and volunteer opportunities. Programs offered include substance abuse, legal aid clinics, religious services, homeless shelters, furniture, and food assistance programs.

• American Association of Retired Persons (AARP)
  The American Association of Retired Persons is dedicated to connecting and informing retired persons in the areas of health, money, leisure, and family. A magazine and online community membership are available.

   

• Area Agencies on Aging (AAA)
  The Area Agency on Aging is dedicated to preserving and encouraging the independence, dignity, and quality of life for seniors. This website lists the individual Area Agencies on Aging for different regions of Michigan. Regions are divided by county or by city. Most AAAs can refer you to a kinship support group in your local county and may have respite programs to assist grandparent caregivers for children.

   

• Michigan Community Action Agencies
  The Michigan Community Action Agencies unites agencies that work for activism and community action, whether for the environment, the economically disadvantaged, families, the aging, and other interest groups in Michigan.

   

• Office of Services to the Aging (OSA)
  The Michigan Office of Services to the Aging is a statewide resource for information on aging in Michigan. This website will direct you to community programs in your area.

   

• Social Security Administration
  The Social Security Administration works to advance the economic security of the American people. Information is provided about retirement, Medicare, disability, SSI, and widows or widowers.

• United Way
  The Michigan Association of United Ways distributes funds that are collected through charitable donation to health and human services organizations. The agency provides referrals for community resources in areas throughout Michigan. Older grandparent caregivers may receive Social Security benefits for the grandchildren in their care.
• UPCAP
  UPCAP promotes the development of the human, social, and community resources of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. UPCAP's activities include serving as the Upper Peninsula Area Agency on Aging, providing technical assistance to those who wish to utilize assistance to federal and state programs, providing technical assistance and services to governmental bodies, and promoting the development of affordable housing opportunities in the Upper Peninsula.

• American Association of Retired Persons (AARP)
  The American Association of Retired Persons is dedicated to connecting and informing retired persons in the areas of health, money, leisure, and family. A magazine and online community membership are available.
• Brookdale Foundation
  The mission of the Brookdale Foundation is to enhance the quality of life for seniors and further the fields of gerontology and geriatrics. The Foundation provides grants to their Relatives as Parents program and their Group Respite program.
• Child Welfare Institute
  The Child Welfare Institute provides training and consultation services to state, local, and private child welfare and human service agencies in order to promote the permanency and well-being of children and families nationwide.
• Generations United | Kinship Caregiving Options: Considerations for Caregivers
  Generations United is a national organization that works to bring generations together through programs, services, and public policies. Generations United publications are available at this website in addition to information about the organization's programs and resources for the public.