Grandparents Raising Grandchildren in Michigan

[NOTE: Meta description accidentally pulled from Indiana. Correct meta description for Michigan:]

Grandparents Raising Grandchildren in Michigan | InmateAid

Michigan has 10,000 children in the state foster care system. As of March 2025, nearly half of those children -- about 5,000 -- are placed with relatives. Michigan's Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has stated plainly that the state believes children who need placements outside their homes should be placed with relatives or other close family friends whenever possible.

In March 2025, Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced a FY2026 budget that includes nearly $90 million in new investments to strengthen kinship care services statewide.

And Michigan State University's Kinship Care Resource Center (KCRC) operates a free statewide helpline for kinship caregivers: **1-800-535-1218**. The KCRC connects grandparents and relative caregivers to navigators, training, resources, and a free legal clinic (Chance at Childhood) for kinship families.

Michigan also calls its TANF program the FIP -- Family Independence Program. And the state's online benefits portal, MI Bridges, is where you apply for FIP cash, food assistance, Medicaid, childcare, and the State Emergency Relief program all in one place.

One important thing to say at the outset: **Michigan does not have one large cash grant specifically for grandparents raising grandchildren.** The financial support that exists is modest -- child-only FIP cash, food assistance, Medicaid -- and most grandparents not in the formal foster care system receive far less than the cost of raising a child. Knowing this is not meant to discourage. It means you apply for everything available and find the community support that makes the rest workable.

You did not plan for this. You raised your children. You got to the other side of it. And then your child was incarcerated and the grandchildren needed somewhere to go. You said yes.

This article covers what Michigan offers and what to do first.

If MDHHS or CPS Is Involved: Read This First

If Michigan's Children's Protective Services (CPS) has opened a case -- or if MDHHS has removed the grandchildren from your child's home -- the most important thing you can do right now is this: **tell the MDHHS worker that you want to be considered as a relative placement before you go to probate court to file your own guardianship case.**

Here is why the order matters: if you go to probate court and obtain your own guardianship first, you may lose access to the higher foster care payments and the Title IV-E Guardianship Assistance Program that are available to relative foster parents whose guardianship goes through the MDHHS child welfare system. These payments are substantially higher than the child-only FIP grant available to informal caregivers.

If MDHHS is involved:

1. Tell the worker you want to be a relative placement

2. Ask about foster care payments, relative licensing, Medicaid, and guardianship assistance

3. Then decide whether to pursue a probate court guardianship or a foster care route with MDHHS

If you have already gone to probate court, call the KCRC at 1-800-535-1218 to understand your options. They can help you assess what step to take next.

The Decision You Already Made

You already made the hardest decision. The grandchildren are with you. Everything else in this article is about making that workable.

If the grandchildren are NOT in the MDHHS foster care system, you are an informal caregiver. The FIP child-only grant, food assistance, and Medicaid through MI Bridges are your primary resources. The KCRC at MSU (1-800-535-1218) is your best navigation resource.

If MDHHS placed the grandchildren with you, you are in the formal relative foster care system. Your MDHHS worker is your primary contact. Ask specifically about relative foster care payments, licensing requirements, Medicaid enrollment, and the Guardianship Assistance Program.

Apply for all benefits through **MI Bridges** (michiganservices.gov) or call 888-642-7434. This is Michigan's one-stop benefits portal.

Legal Authority: What It Is and How to Get It in Michigan

**Guardianship (Probate Court)**

For informal caregivers not in the MDHHS system, guardianship through Michigan probate court is the primary long-term legal pathway. With guardianship, you have authority to enroll children in school, authorize medical care, apply for benefits, and make day-to-day decisions.

**Critical reminder**: if CPS is involved or you think MDHHS may become involved, contact MDHHS first and ask to be a relative placement before filing in probate court. The financial consequences of doing this in the wrong order can be significant.

Michigan Legal Help (michiganlegalhelp.org) provides free legal information statewide. The KCRC connects caregivers to Chance at Childhood, which staffs a free legal clinic for kinship families.

**Power of Attorney**

A notarized parental Power of Attorney from the incarcerated parent gives you immediate authority for medical care and school enrollment while you pursue guardianship. MDOC (Michigan Department of Corrections) facilities have notary services -- contact the facility case manager.

**Title IV-E Guardianship Assistance Program**

Michigan has an approved Title IV-E Guardianship Assistance Program for children who have been in MDHHS foster care and transition to guardianship. This provides ongoing financial support after guardianship is established. Ask your MDHHS worker if you are in the foster care system.

**Adoption**

Adoption permanently terminates the biological parent's parental rights. Consider carefully when the incarcerated parent has a realistic path to release and reunification.

Money: What Michigan Offers Kinship Caregivers

**FIP Child-Only Grant (Family Independence Program)**

FIP is Michigan's TANF program. A child-only FIP grant is available for children being raised by a relative who is not a biological parent. For child-only grants, the grandparent's income is generally not counted.

Apply through MI Bridges (michiganservices.gov) or call 888-642-7434, or visit your local MDHHS office.

Note: Michigan updated its FIP time limit rules in March 2025 (60-month lifetime limit now applies to applications filed on or after March 22, 2025 for adult recipients). Child-only grants have different rules -- verify current child-only terms at your MDHHS office or through the KCRC.

**Food Assistance Program (FAP / Michigan Bridge Card)**

Michigan's SNAP program is the Food Assistance Program. Benefits are issued via the Michigan Bridge Card. Apply through MI Bridges. The grandchildren's presence increases your household food assistance benefit.

**Medicaid**

Children in kinship care are generally eligible for Michigan Medicaid based on income. Apply through MI Bridges. Medicaid covers doctor visits, dental, prescriptions, mental health services, emergency care, and vision.

**State Emergency Relief (SER)**

SER is Michigan's emergency assistance program. It can help with housing and utility costs during a crisis. Apply through MI Bridges when facing an emergency situation.

**Childcare Assistance**

Child care assistance is available for income-eligible families through MDHHS. Apply through MI Bridges.

**Summer EBT**

Michigan participates in the Summer EBT program. In 2026, eligible children can receive $120 for summer grocery help. Eligibility may flow from SNAP, TANF, foster care status, or other qualifying conditions. Apply through MI Bridges; keep the child's school and MDHHS address current.

**Relative Foster Care Payments (MDHHS-Involved Families)**

If MDHHS placed the grandchildren with you as a relative foster parent, you receive foster care payments that are substantially higher than the child-only FIP grant. You must be licensed or work toward licensing through MDHHS. Ask your MDHHS worker about the relative licensing process and payment rates.

**Respite Funds (Through KCRC and Area Agencies on Aging)**

The MSU KCRC has access to some funding through Area Agencies on Aging specifically for respite for kinship caregivers. Respite funds can pay for extracurricular activities, summer camps, or tutoring -- giving you, the caregiver, a break. Ask the KCRC (1-800-535-1218) about respite fund availability in your area.

**Social Security**

If the incarcerated parent was working before arrest, the grandchildren may be eligible for Social Security dependent benefits. Call 1-800-772-1213. SSI may be available for grandchildren with disabilities.

MSU Kinship Care Resource Center: Your First Call

Michigan State University's Kinship Care Resource Center (KCRC) is the primary kinship support resource in Michigan.

**Contact:**

- Phone: **1-800-535-1218** (free)

- Website: kinship.msu.edu

What the KCRC provides:

- Kinship Care Navigators for specific issues and emergencies ("I just had a child placed in my home, now what?")

- Connection to Chance at Childhood, a free legal clinic for kinship families

- Respite funds through Area Agencies on Aging

- Training, resources, and outreach

- Connection to food, housing, health care, and community resources

- Support for kinship caregivers with children both in and outside the foster care system

The KCRC navigator team is small -- two navigators for the whole state. They are best equipped for specific questions and emergency situations rather than ongoing weekly support. Call with your most pressing question first. They will point you to the right next step.

The KCRC is a program of MSU's School of Social Work and operates in partnership with MDHHS. It is funded in part by the Governor's $90 million kinship investment in the FY2026 budget.

2-1-1 Michigan

Dial 2-1-1 or visit mi211.org. United Way's Michigan 2-1-1 connects residents with health and human services statewide: food, housing, health care, and more. This is the backup for community-level resources that the KCRC, MDHHS, and MI Bridges don't cover.

The School Question

With guardianship, a POA, or enrollment through MDHHS foster care, school enrollment is straightforward.

Without legal authority, use the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. Schools must immediately enroll children who lack stable housing documentation, including children living with relatives due to a parent's incarceration. Ask the school district's McKinney-Vento liaison.

For children with disabilities, Michigan's early intervention system serves children under 3; special education services apply for children 3 and older.

For children with IEPs, you will need legal authority or a signed parental authorization from the incarcerated parent to participate in planning meetings. MDOC facilities have notary services -- contact the facility case manager.

Michigan's Geographic Reality

Michigan has two peninsulas. The Lower Peninsula contains most of the population -- Detroit metro, Grand Rapids, Lansing, Flint, Kalamazoo, Saginaw. The Upper Peninsula (UP) is one of the most remote regions in the Midwest.

MDOC facilities are spread across both peninsulas. Kinross Correctional Facility (Chippewa County, UP) and Marquette Branch Prison (UP) are 5-6 hours from Detroit or Grand Rapids. For a Lower Peninsula family with a parent in the UP: visiting is not casual.

The KCRC's phone line (1-800-535-1218) and MI Bridges (michiganservices.gov) are accessible statewide regardless of geography. The Foster Care Navigator Program and Detroit Area Agency on Aging serve the metro Detroit region with more localized support. 2-1-1 (mi211.org) is county-specific and statewide.

Medical Authorization Before Court Paperwork Is Done

Get a notarized parental Power of Attorney from the incarcerated parent through MDOC notary services. Contact the facility case manager.

Apply for Medicaid for the grandchildren through MI Bridges (michiganservices.gov). Medicaid enrollment does not require legal authority.

What She Is Carrying That He Cannot See

You did not plan for this stage of your life. The grandchildren arrived and with them came school registrations, doctor appointments, someone to be home, someone to sit with a child who is afraid.

You are also carrying your feelings about your child who is incarcerated. Those feelings do not have to resolve. You can love your child and be furious. You can hope for the release and fear the person they will be when they come back.

Michigan's opioid epidemic has been one of the most brutal in the industrial Midwest. Detroit, Flint, Saginaw, the rural communities of central and western Michigan have all been hit. Incarceration connected to addiction is a specific kind of grief -- watching someone you raised become someone you did not recognize, and then the children showing up at your door.

The KCRC connects caregivers to mental health and counseling resources. Detroit Area Agency on Aging (age 60+) has grandparent support groups. 2-1-1 (mi211.org) can find community support resources in your county.

Talking to the Grandchildren About Where Their Parent Is

The children know something is wrong. Silence does not protect them.

Use honest, age-appropriate language. For a young child: "Your dad made a mistake and he has to stay somewhere else while he learns from it. You are safe and I am here." For an older child: "Your mom is in prison. She did something against the law and a judge decided she needs to be there for a while. She loves you. She is not in danger."

Do not make promises about when the parent will be home that you cannot keep. Let the children have their feelings. Keep the parent present in appropriate ways: photos, letters, phone calls.

Michigan DOC phone calls go through ICS Corrections / GTL. You control which numbers are approved.

Michigan Medicaid covers mental health services for children. The KCRC can connect you to counseling resources. If the grandchildren are struggling, contact the KCRC or ask the school counselor for a referral.

Your Relationship With Your Incarcerated Child

Your feelings about your child are complicated. You are raising their children because they cannot. Both things are true.

What the grandchildren need: to see that you are not punishing their parent through them.

What you need: a place to hold the complicated feelings that is not in front of the grandchildren. KCRC resources, AAA support groups, a therapist -- any of these is better than carrying it alone.

What to Do First: A Practical Checklist

Call the MSU KCRC at 1-800-535-1218. This is the first call. Tell them what situation you are in -- informal caregiver, MDHHS-involved, or not sure -- and they will point you to the right next steps.

If MDHHS or CPS is involved: tell the worker you want to be considered as a relative placement BEFORE going to probate court for guardianship. Ask about foster care payments, licensing, Medicaid, and guardianship assistance.

Apply for FIP child-only grant, food assistance (FAP), Medicaid, childcare, and SER all through MI Bridges: michiganservices.gov or call 888-642-7434.

Get a notarized Power of Attorney from the incarcerated parent through MDOC notary services. Contact the facility case manager.

Start the guardianship process if not in the MDHHS system. Contact Michigan Legal Help (michiganlegalhelp.org) or call the KCRC to connect to Chance at Childhood free legal clinic.

Enroll the grandchildren in school. Use McKinney-Vento if needed.

Ask the KCRC about respite funds through Area Agencies on Aging for extracurricular activities, summer camps, or tutoring.

Dial 2-1-1 (mi211.org) to find community resources in your specific county.

Take care of yourself. The KCRC is there. Call them.

FAQ

**What is the FIP and how does the child-only grant work?** FIP stands for Family Independence Program -- Michigan's TANF. A child-only FIP grant is available for children raised by a relative who is not a biological parent. The grandparent's income is generally not counted for child-only grants. Apply through MI Bridges (michiganservices.gov) or call 888-642-7434. Michigan updated FIP time limit rules in March 2025 -- verify current child-only terms at your MDHHS office or through the KCRC.

**What is MI Bridges?** Michigan's online benefits portal where you apply for FIP cash, food assistance (Michigan Bridge Card), Medicaid, childcare, State Emergency Relief, and Summer EBT. Website: michiganservices.gov. Phone: 888-642-7434. Apply here first for all MDHHS benefits.

**What is the MSU Kinship Care Resource Center?** Michigan State University's KCRC is the primary kinship support program in Michigan, operated in partnership with MDHHS. It provides Kinship Care Navigators, connection to Chance at Childhood free legal clinic, respite funds through Area Agencies on Aging, and resources for both formal and informal kinship caregivers. Free phone: 1-800-535-1218. Website: kinship.msu.edu.

**Why does the order matter if MDHHS is involved?** If CPS is involved and you go to probate court for your own guardianship before being placed as a relative foster parent by MDHHS, you may lose access to significantly higher foster care payments and the Title IV-E Guardianship Assistance Program. If MDHHS is involved: tell the worker you want to be a relative placement first; ask about foster care payments and guardianship assistance; then decide your legal pathway.

**What is State Emergency Relief (SER)?** SER is Michigan's emergency assistance program for housing and utility costs during a crisis. It is available through MI Bridges (michiganservices.gov). Apply when facing an immediate housing or utility emergency.

**Can I enroll my grandchildren in school without legal authority?** Yes. Under the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, schools must immediately enroll children living with relatives due to a parent's incarceration. Ask the school district for its McKinney-Vento liaison. With a POA from the incarcerated parent, standard enrollment applies.

**How do I talk to the grandchildren about their parent being in prison?** Use honest, age-appropriate language without promises about when the parent will be home. Let the children have feelings. Keep the parent present appropriately -- photos, letters, MDOC phone calls through ICS Corrections/GTL. Michigan Medicaid covers children's mental health services; the KCRC can connect you to counseling resources.