There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.
-Nelson Mandela
Family Service & Children’s Aid (FSCA) contracts with the State of Michigan to provide foster care case management and adoption services to children in the foster care system and their birth families. Approximately, 14,000 Michigan children are in foster care at any given time. The greatest need is for foster homes that can take sibling groups and/or children 9 and older. When a child enters the foster care system, the goal is usually to reunite them with their parents. Foster parents can provide a safe, nurturing, temporary home for a child during the reunification process. Foster parents can also assist children in overcoming developmental delays, heal from trauma, and form lifelong relationships. When it is not possible to reunite them with their parents, FSCA finds loving homes for foster children to grow up in through the process of adoption.
FSCA provides orientation and training to our foster and adoptive parents. The agency provides access to Medicaid for a child’s medical, mental health, and dental needs. FSCA has licensing staff that can assess a family’s suitability for foster care and prepare a home study to send to the Division of Child Welfare Licensing (DCWL). The agency has licensing and case management staff that can provide support, information, and referrals to foster parents in a timely manner. The agency has a commitment to communicate with our foster parents, and we provide 24-hour emergency assistance. Our adoption staff can assess a family’s ability to be adoptive parents, and prepare an adoption home study.
If you are a public or private child placing agency looking for a foster care placement, please contact us at 517-787-7920.
For information about why children come into the foster care system go to:
https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/can/
If you are interested in learning more, call us and schedule an orientation. We can come to your home or meet with you in our office. The orientation typically takes 1 to 2 hours, and if you are a two-parent family both parents must attend. Visit the Foster Home Licensing page for more information
Contact: 517-787-7920
Family Service & Children’s Aid is contracted with the State of Michigan to license foster family homes. FSCA’s licensing staff is experienced and professional. They strive to provide high quality service to our foster families. Our staff will assist you in completing the extensive documentation involved in the licensing process. They help foster parents understand the needs of the children in foster care, and help families decide what type of child they would be best suited to help. The licensing staff continues to support and train families during and after the licensing process.
FSCA’s foster care case managers work closely with our licensed foster families to make sure that the needs of the children in their care are met. The case manager arranges services for the child, and has timely and effective communication with the foster parents. Our agency has a 24-hour on call service, so that in an emergency a foster parent can reach a foster care staff member or supervisor at any time.
Please contact us at 517-787-7920 or fostercare@strong-families.org to schedule a comprehensive orientation to learn more about becoming a Foster Parent. We can come to your home or meet with you in our office. The orientation typically takes 1 to 2 hours, and if you are a two-parent family both parents must attend.
As part of the foster care orientation process, the State of Michigan has four video segments that must be viewed. The topics are What Every Parent Needs to Know, Attachment & Separation, Impact of Fostering, and The Licensing Process. You can watch these videos online by clicking here.
Pre-Licensing Training
Must be completed prior to a license being recommended.
- Reasonable and prudent parenting standard
- 12 hours of PRIDE training
- Trauma training
- First aid
Contact: 517-787-7920
Foster Parent Licensing Forms
- Central Registry Clearance Request
- Child Management Policy Agreement
- Emergency Procedure Fire Drill Form
- Emergency Procedure Policy
- Filing for Child Care Assistance
- Foster Parent Handbook Acknowledgement
- Foster Parent Agency Agreement
- Hazardous Material and Firearm Policy
- Process for DHHS Clearance and Background Checks
- Training Report
Adoption Publications
- DHHS Adoption Program Statement
- Adopting a Child in Michigan
- Making the Decision to Become a Child’s Permanent Family
- Michigan Adoption Assistance Program
- Release of Adoption Records
Foster Parent Training Websites
- Reasonable and Prudent Parenting Standard
- First Aid (needs to be completed upon expiration of previous first aid completion date)
- firstaidweb.com
- firstaidforfree.com
Ongoing Training After Licensure
6 hours of training are required each year after being issued a foster home license
Contact: 517-787-7920
How long does the adoption process take?
The adoption process varies from case to case. Generally you can expect the process to take anywhere from 6-12 months (or longer) after the child is legally free for adoption to finalize the process.
What is the “Adoption process”?
Whether you become licensed or not, each family must undergo an extensive study. This includes background checks, information gathering, obtaining references, medical evaluations, training, etc. Once your study is complete and you are matched with a child, you will begin the process of finalizing the adoption. The process includes securing subsidy (if available), obtaining consent and filing the legal paperwork.
What is adoption assistance?
Adoption assistance is a form of support. It can be financial through monthly reimbursements or medical through additional insurance. Eligibility for financial or medical assistance varies from each case. Subsidy supports are often available for the adoption of sibling groups and older youth.
Does it cost anything to adopt?
When adopting a child through the child welfare system, there are no fees for services. These services include completing the home study, filing legal forms with the court, etc. Any fees that are required for the process are often reimbursed through the State and/or this agency. Each case is unique so this may not be the case for everyone.
What is consent?
The process of obtaining consent is what the case manager does to obtain permission of the state (who holds the legal custody of the child) to request that the legal custody change to the adoptive parent. Consent must be obtained for the adoption to be approved as Family Service & Children’s Aid can only make a recommendation and not a decision about any child who is a ward of the State.
What is involved in the legal paperwork?
Once any subsidies are secured (if applicable) and the consent for adoption has been approved, the case manager will work with the court to file the legal paperwork to name the adoptive parents as the legal family for that child. The court will often set a hearing date within a few weeks of obtaining the legal paperwork so that the adoptive placement can be made formal.
Is the child officially adopted after the court hearing for the adoption has occurred?
Not necessarily in all cases. The court and/or the family may request a supervision period by Family Service & Children’s Aid for up to 6 additional months to ensure the child and the family have the necessary services and support in place to ensure a successful adoption. If the child has not been living in your home for a minimum of 6 months prior to the legal paperwork being signed the supervision period is required.
