Kinship Care in Michigan: The Case for More Support

As Advocates from the Michigan Kinship Care Coalition (MKCC)
gathering for aLegislative Day in Lansing to address state
lawmakers, host Matt Gillard talks totwo guests about the changes
needed to assist more kinship parents in raisingchildren outside
the formal foster care system. Joining him this month areStephanie
Armendariz, senior policy analyst, Chapin Hall at the University
ofChicago, and author of the new research brief, Diverting Children
from Foster toKinship Care: The Issue and the Evidence; and,
Deborah Frisbie, co-chair ofMKCC’s Policy & Advocacy
Committee. The advocacy group Generations Unitedestimates that for
every one child being raised by kin who are registered as
formalfoster parents with government support and services, there
are 18 kids beingraised by relatives under informal arrangements
and absent necessary services.