Michigan to become first in U.S. to implement kinship care rule for relatives taking in loved ones

Michigan will become the first state in the country to acknowledge kinship caregivers with the same level of financial assistance and licensing requirements as other foster care providers.

Michigan follows the Salt River Pima Tribe in Arizona and will be the first state to implement separate licensing standards for kin caregivers to make the process simpler and allow them to get aid, Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra announced late last week.

Kinship caregivers are extended family members such as grandparents, friends of family, and multiple generations of people taking care of loved ones they did not birth.

Becerra said the change allows families to stay together and increases equity in the child welfare system. Kinship care also allows children to remain tied to their cultural heritage, family and community.

“It is often grandparents who step up to care for a grandchild when that child’s parent can’t. We must be partners with those grandparents and support their commitment to care for the child while a parent gets back on their feet, so more children don’t end up in foster care,” Becerra stated in a press release. “Michigan’s robust support for kin caregivers has made it a national leader. The approval of Michigan’s plan means more kin caregivers will receive the financial support they deserve when caring for family members.”

Michigan was selected first because it submitted a plan to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to allocate funding and create licensing requirements for kin caregivers. Michigan's plan was approved first because the state already had a robust approval process for relatives, said Lynn Sutfin, spokeswoman for the state's department of health and human services.

While Michigan has supported kin families with state and county funds since 2019, the new rule means those families will receive federal support for the first time and the state can then redirect local funds toward prevention services.

As of May, the state health department said 7,268 foster families were serving children and youth in Michigan and 42% were kin families. The new standards for kinship approval will also increase access to subsidized guardianship, the state health department said. This will allow Michigan to officially approve these kinship families, ultimately improving permanency outcomes through an increase in subsidized guardianship placements.

The decision to simplify the licensing process for kinship caregivers in the state comes after a Detroit News project in 2022, supported by the New York & Michigan Solutions Journalism Collaborative, found these caregivers are often overlooked and undercounted in Michigan, especially as they are rarely defined or recognized in most state laws. The most recent data available indicated there are about 54,000 Michigan children in kinship caregiving situations, both formally and informally, but that figure is likely the low end.

Kinship caregivers describe limited support when taking in loved ones, with no guidance or resources about how to transition into an unforeseen circumstances.

In September, the U.S. Health and Human Services Department finalized a new regulation that allows a state's child welfare agency to adopt simpler licensing or approval standards for all kin foster family homes. It also requires that states provide kin caregivers with the same level of financial assistance that any other foster care provider receives.

In many instances, grandparents are caring for grandchildren and suffering in applying for assistance as they are not their court-appointed guardians. Area Agencies on Aging note the most common reasons for kinship caregiving follow parental incarceration or substance abuse.

Elizabeth Hertel, director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, said the state is excited to be the first in the country to have an approved licensing standard for kin, saying Michigan has "long recognized" the value of these caregivers.

“It is often grandparents and other family members who step in to provide a loving home when parents are unable to do so and they must be supported," said Hertel.

It's unclear how much funding Michigan will receive or allocate from its existing budget to accommodate kinship care.

The Detroit News looked into the growing shortage of traditional caregivers for its "Care in Crisis" series in 2022. A survey the newsroom commissioned showed that for caregivers in Metro Detroit, those who have the least to give find themselves giving the most.

The second part of the series noted that kinship caregiving is rarely surveyed, meaning equivalent data for people caring for those younger than 18 doesn't exist. As a result, the number of kinship caregivers is likely undercounted.

Previously, federal regulations made it harder for family members such as grandparents, aunts, and uncles to become caregivers when a child in their family entered foster care as courts did not recognize the term kinship. Without obtaining legal guardianship over a person, families can’t seek financial assistance through the state. Many don’t realize their informal living situation is disqualifying them from receiving available financial assistance. Some are too disconnected or have never heard the term "kinship caregiver."

The new rule ensures that during times of family crisis, kin can more readily become licensed or approved, according to the department.

“When times are tough, many of us turn to family for help,” stated Jeff Hild, deputy assistant secretary for the Administration for Children and Families. “ACF understands grandparents and other kin who are raising children in safe, loving homes deserve support and we applaud Michigan for developing licensing standards that reflect the unique needs and strengths of kin caregivers.”

Organizations providing resources and working to assist include Area Agencies on Aging, Grandparents Raising Grandchildren, and Michigan State University, which has a resource center for kinship caregivers.

Kinship caregivers can only access financial assistance though assessment and placement by a case manager of a child in foster care in need of out-of-home placement. Michigan is requiring all new relative providers who accept a placement as of March 4 to complete the approval requirements. Unlicensed relatives with a placement prior to March 4 are considered legacy caregivers and are encouraged but not required to pursue approval. 

MDHHS encourages caregivers to call the Kinship Support Program to connect with a kinship navigator to learn about the resources available in their community. They also can reach the Kinship Support Program by calling (800) 535-1218 or visiting www.kinship.msu.edu.

srahal@detroitnews.com

X: @SarahRahal_