LANSING - Department of Human Services (DHS) officials today announced that Wayne and Macomb counties have been selected as two of only fifteen sites nationwide to be designated as Family to Family "anchor" sites by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The 15 sites - selected from among 50 applicants nationwide - were chosen to serve as models for other states and jurisdictions as they implement the principles and tools of the Family to Family approach.

"This is great news that affirms the direction of our fundamental reforms of the child welfare system Michigan," said DHS director Marianne Udow. "The Family to Family approach is a key element of overall reforms that are protecting children and strengthening families in Michigan."

Family to Family is a partnership between local DHS offices, families, and communities to improve safety and well being and reduce disruption in the lives children at risk of entering the foster care system. This approach ensures that birth parents, foster parents and community representatives are involved in the decision-making process concerning the safety, placement and service needs of children and their families.

"We are excited about continuing our collaboration with Michigan," Pat Rideout, senior consultant for Family to Family operations for the Annie E. Casey Foundation, said. "We look forward to building on the progress Wayne and Macomb counties have made in the first five years of our Family to Family effort."

The Family to Family initiative has been successfully implemented in 38 counties across the state, with 28 more counties scheduled for implementation by the end of the calendar year.

The Family to Family model protects children by:

• Increasing family involvement and investment in developing safety and service plans for their children.
• Utilizing extended family, kin and community-based resources to support the family and monitor the safety of the children.
• Providing better information to DHS staff to ensure that all safety issues are addressed and back-up plans are available.
• Keeping the children in the community, their school and with siblings who know what is "normal" for the child and will be alert to any changes that may signal problems.
• Greater use of individualized services to meet the unique needs of a particular family.

In addition to recognizing the progress Wayne and Macomb counties have made in protecting children and strengthening families, the Annie E. Casey Foundation was impressed with Michigan's overall child welfare reform plan. They were particularly impressed with DHS's comprehensive efforts to reduce racial disparities in the child welfare system and the state's plan to expand prevention and early intervention services using federal foster care funds.

Michigan's fundamental reforms to date have resulted in fewer children in the foster care system, more children placed with relatives, and fewer children re-entering the system.

"The field of child welfare has changed dramatically in the past 10 years and continues to change daily," Udow said. "DHS's top priority of supporting children remains as strong as ever as we look for ways to become more effective in improving outcomes for the families we serve."