Foster Care Needs in Michigan

Each year approximately 3,100 children enter foster care for the first time. And on any given day in Michigan, approximately 10,000 children are in foster care or a residential placement due to abuse or neglect.

See statistics below

This number of children in out-of-home placement has dropped significantly compared to 10 years ago, when the number of children in out-of-home care in Michigan was approximately 20,000. It is important to note that this decrease is not the result of a reduction in the number of children experiencing abuse or neglect. In fact, the rate of children confirmed as victims of abuse or neglect has increased by 30% from 2010 to 2016. Rather, the decrease in the number of children in out-of-home placement is due to more aggressive efforts by the state to work with families in their home – to prevent removing children in the first place.

Wellspring is one of the largest providers of in-home family preservation services in Michigan, and we take pride in this success. Despite our best efforts to drive that number even lower, though, the need for loving foster homes to provide support for the 10,000 children in care remains.

• spend unnecessary time in residential or shelter placements because of the lack of available foster homes;
• experience multiple placement moves due to the lack of available homes from which to choose a good match;
• experience greater uncertainty, increased trauma and poorer outcomes due to multiple placement moves; and
• are more frequently separated from their siblings because of a lack of available homes to accommodate multiple children.