LANSING - Governor Jennifer M. Granholm has declared May 2006 Foster Care Month in Michigan. The governor's announcement highlights the fact that approximately 19,000 Michigan children and youths are living with about 7,600 foster care families.

Foster Care Month provides an opportunity to make Michigan residents more aware of the foster care services available in the state and of the efforts of the various individuals, agencies and organizations dedicated to improving the foster care system.

"This month is a time to show special appreciation for foster families who have opened their homes and hearts to foster children," Marianne Udow, Michigan Department of Human Services director, said. "They strive to offer the best care possible for children in need, not only during Foster Care Month, but everyday."

Children usually enter foster care, at least temporarily, because they have been abused or neglected at home. Foster care families are trained by DHS and private child placing agencies to provide safe, stable and supportive homes for them.

"Children are our most precious resource," Udow said. "It is critical that we work together to do everything we can not only to ensure the safety of our children, but also to provide them with a stable environment in which they are surrounded by adults who care about them and will help them learn and grow."

Foster families play a vital role in the lives of children in crisis. They help reconnect children to families and steer them toward successful adulthood, or help them prepare for adoption by a permanent family once parental rights have been terminated by the court.

"When children must be removed from their families because of abuse or neglect, they often don't understand why and are frightened and confused," Udow said. "Suddenly, they're in a new environment, a new home, while their entire identity is still wrapped up in the parents, siblings, extended family, neighbors and friends they've left behind. Caring foster families help by easing children's anxieties and making them feel loved and secure in unfamiliar new surroundings."

Developing an adequate number of foster homes to meet the varied backgrounds of children entering foster care is a priority of the Department of Human Services. In partnership with clients and communities, DHS cultivates quality foster care home placement resources and works to develop, train and support responsible families so they can provide safe nurturing environments for children placed in out-of-home care.

The department provides monthly payments to reimburse foster families for some of the costs involved in caring for a child, clothing and holiday allowances, regional and statewide training, and help with the licensing process.