OPEN MINDS, The Behavioral Health & Social Service Industry Analyst Industry Analysis Michigan The Foster Care Permanency Initiative began as a pilot project in 1997 in Wayne County (Detroit). The goals were to reduce the length of stay in foster care and increase the numbers of children who achieved permanency within the specified time frames. The planners created the funding structure to provide foster care providers with flexibility. The principle design is a reduced per diem rate and a reallocation of the resulting savings into three lump . . .