Opinion | MDHHS-Steelcase project offers fresh approach to strengthen families

At the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, we understand the importance of providing families with proactive support services that focus on prevention. The challenges many families face, such as unstable housing, food insecurity or lack of access to mental health resources, are often the reasons families are contacted within the child welfare system. So, we are working together to create a system where poverty is not conflated with neglect.

Historically, families would have to be involved with or intersect the child welfare system — most notably with Child Protective Services — in order to access necessary resources.

In response, MDHHS has made monumental changes in recent years. Under the leadership of Director Elizabeth Hertel, the department has launched the Keep Kids Safe Action Agenda. The agenda is a comprehensive framework designed to flip the traditional model and focus on prevention, intervention, stability, wellness and workforce development.

Studies have consistently shown that the money spent on the back end of our systems — such as placing children in congregate care facilities or removing children from households — far outweighs the costs of providing preventative support. Programs like FIT (Family Impact Teams) and tools like family resource centers are great examples of how we are successfully putting the needs of families first with the support they truly need. By investing in families upfront, we promote better outcomes for children and families overall. 

Another example of our action agenda at work is our new partnership with the Steelcase Foundation. Their $10 million, 10-year Investment in Families Initiative is a groundbreaking effort aimed at bolstering the well-being of Black and Latina mothers in Kent County.

The model reflects our shift in how we approach family support. By collaborating with a cohort of 30 mothers over a 10-year period, the initiative seeks to co-create and implement innovative solutions to the systemic issues families face with the help and guidance of those who are actually experiencing it. This partnership is not just about providing immediate relief; it’s about fostering long-term resilience and economic stability, empowering families to pursue their self-defined goals, and bringing those learnings to policy leaders to improve the system to better serve Michigan families.

A cornerstone of this initiative is the employment of a full-time caseworker based at the Women’s Resource Center in Grand Rapids. This dedicated caseworker will help the cohort families navigate MDHHS procedures, receive and analyze data, and address any approaching or swift decrease in benefits that might arise. This hands-on support is crucial for maximizing the benefits available to families and ensuring they have the resources needed to thrive. 

The partnership between MDHHS and the Steelcase Foundation through the Investment in Families Initiative is a promising part of a new era of support for Michigan families. By addressing both immediate needs and systemic barriers, we are creating a Michigan where every child can grow up safe, healthy and empowered to pursue their dreams.