Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Concise Recommendations
1. Improve coordination of fiscal planning and funding of services across systems for children and families involved in the child welfare system.
2. Institute comprehensive change in Michigan’s funding system for services that support the safety, permanency, and well being of children and families. This
change anticipates expansion of funding along with reduction in the number of children placed in out of home care and reinvestment of any funds saved as a
result in front end services to preserve and support families. The new funding scheme will provide for:
a. Effective community services for prevention of abuse and neglect and delinquency.
b. Effective family preservation services.
c. Post placement and post-permanency services for child abuse and juvenile justice.
d. Medical, mental health, dental and substance abuse treatment services.
e. Transitional services for children and youth exiting the system.
f. Educational services for children during and after exit from system.
g. Reinvestment of state funds freed up by the federal stimulus adjustment of FAMP into community based prevention and early intervention for at risk
families.
3. Advocate with Congress and federal agencies for increasing federal funding to increase the availability of community-based, in-home services for children
and families.
4. Expedite planning and funding for Michigan’s federally recognized tribes to directly access and administer federal Title IV-E funds rather than requiring the
funds to flow through a Tribal/State agreement (ex. Expanded children’s cabinet role, joint hearings by house & senate appropriations subcommittees
regarding cross departmental system issues (HS, ED, DCH, DOC, Ombudsman, etc) effecting youth/families in child welfare programs).
5. Target specific funding changes and advocacy efforts to enhance critical program needs.
Expected Results
1. Increase the use of flexible funding so resources can follow the child throughout the continuum.
2. Increase collaboration around funding between state, tribal and local partners.
3. Decrease funding barriers to allow for flexible funding and leverage all possible revenue sources to maximize available funds.
4. Increase the use of data to help with decision making around how funds and resources are deployed.
5. Increase the use of incentives through performance based contracts that focus on family reunification.
6. Increase the utilization of federal resources to preserve state and local resources; can be helpful for subpopulations like:
a. Dual wards
b. Foster care
7. Increase the ability of the system to meet the immediate needs of families whose children have been placed into out-of-home settings.
5. To the extent practical within the resource limits available 5. Children’s 5. TBD 5. TBD 5. a. Improved coordination of services for homeless, runaway, and