Michigan’s ‘Protect MiFamily’ Foster Care Prevention Program Reduced Foster Care Entries By 50%

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) foster care Title IV-E waiver program, Protect MiFamily, reduced the number of children placed in foster care by 50%. Among families that completed the entire program, 5% of children were later removed from the home due to maltreatment concerns. The removal rate was 11% among a control group who did not receive the Protect MiFamily services.

In 2012, the federal Administration for Children and Families granted Michigan a Title IV-E waiver to change certain requirements for the state’s foster care activities. The waiver allows Michigan to use the . . .