BIG RAPIDS - For many years, foster children in Michigan were often placed outside of their own communities and moved multiple times while in care. There is substantial research indicating that children in foster care who have frequent contact with their birth parents, remain in their schools, and continue their existing friendship and family networks, have a higher rate of successful reunification with their birth parents.

"Children are our most precious resource," Governor Jennifer M. Granholm 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."

That is why the Michigan Department of Human Services is working to implement a child welfare reform initiative called Family to Family in every county in the state. The goal of Family to Family is to place children who must be removed from their families with one permanent and stable family in the child's own community until reunification with birth families can occur or until the child is released for adoption.

The Family to Family initiative has already been successfully implemented in several counties across the state, including Mecosta and Osceola Counties. Family to Family is a partnership between the local Department of Human Services and the community to reduce disruption in the lives of at-risk children. This approach ensures that birth parents, foster parents and community representatives are involved in the decision-making process concerning the placement and service needs of at-risk children.

In an effort to help Mecosta and Osceola County residents better understand the Family to Family initiative, the Mecosta-Osceola County Department of Human Services is hosting a community forum on July 12, 2006 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Ferris State University, Dome Room - Rankin Student Center, 805 Campus Drive, in Big Rapids.

This event will feature foster parents and former foster children speaking about their experience with the child welfare system as well as parents who have been or are currently involved in the state's child welfare system. Additionally, several Mecosta and Osceola County community human service agencies will be present with information about the services they provide.

"When children are placed in foster care they often do not understand what has happened and why they cannot live with their parents," Marianne Udow, Michigan Department of Human Services director, said. "When we ask children where they want to be, no matter how dysfunctional their familiy is, the children overwhelmingly say they want to live with their family. With the Family to Family approach we are able to keep kids in their own neighborhoods and communities by placing them with extended family or kin. The less disruption children encounter, the easier it will be for them to succeed in school and in life."

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.