Centralized Intake for Abuse and Neglect
Effective March 5, 2012

Centralized Intake (CI) for abuse and neglect complaints will begin taking calls for Children’s Protective Services (CPS) and Adult Protective Services (APS) at 8:00 am on March 5, 2012. The Department of Human Services is establishing Centralized Intake to ensure consistency across the state in how complaints of abuse and neglect of children and adults are documented and assigned for investigation. Centralized Intake will accept and process reports of alleged abuse and neglect twenty four (24) hours a day, seven (7) days a week for the entire year.

Please call:
Centralized Intake for Abuse and Neglect
855-444-3911

Adoption Tax Credit Awareness Day—February 13

We are asking everyone in the adoption community to take part in the first grassroots Adoption Tax Credit Awareness Day. Unfortunately, many adoptive families are still not aware that this tax credit exists. It is our goal to help ensure that all adoptive families who are eligible to receive this benefit are informed about how to claim the credit.

We are asking everyone, including professionals, advocates, state agencies, families, and others to help broadcast the existence of the adoption tax credit on one given day—February 13. You can either copy this text into an e-mail or print flier you share with others or download a flier to distribute.

Save the Date: Plan now to be part of the Adoption Tax Credit Awareness Day on Monday, February 13, 2012—a national effort highlighting the federal tax credit available to adoptive families.

Play Your Part: Join with adoption organizations, state agencies, adoptive families, advocates, and other interested parties to raise visibility of the adoption tax credit. Help spread the word collectively, through website postings, e-mail blasts, newsletters, social media, and other informational outlets, so eligible families that may not be aware of this benefit can be sure to access the credit. Families who adopted as far back as 2005 may still benefit if they haven’t already. Be sure to include non-internet based strategies since some adoptive families do not have access to the internet.

The Facts:
Since 2003, families who adopted a U.S. child with special needs from foster care could claim a federal adoption tax credit even if they had no adoption expenses (as long as their income was below the fairly generous income requirements).

Children who receive adoption assistance/subsidy benefits are considered children with special needs. Even families who receive a deferred subsidy ($0 per month but medical coverage through the subsidy program) are eligible.

Detroit News— It was just a few months ago that LaKeisha Johnson and her small children slept in a car when they couldn't count on a relative or a friend to provide them with a place to stay.

On Thursday, Johnson, 24, showed off her new two-bedroom apartment at Oakman Place Apartments, part of a program to house young, homeless adults, as well as those who have aged out of the state's foster care system.

"This is beautiful," said Johnson, as she showed off the expansive ground floor apartment, fully furnished with new furniture. "It doesn't seem real."

The 24-unit, three-story complex on Oakman Boulevard near Woodrow Wilson includes gated parking and a washer and dryer in each apartment.

The $5.1 million development is the result of a partnership that includes Lutheran Child & Family Service of Michigan, Focus:HOPE and Michigan State Housing Development Authority MSHDA.

Robert G. Miles, president and CEO of Lutheran Child & Family Service of Michigan, said the Oakman Place program provides adequate housing and other support services for homeless youth and those who "age out of the welfare system."

"Very few of our own children make the transition into adulthood without ongoing support and supportive services," Miles said. "Through this development, we have become more sensitized to the number of families who are challenged to find adequate, safe and affordable housing."

Miles said Thursday he hopes the residents will "love each other, support each other and become a community."

Selecting the first families to live in Oakman Place was a difficult task for social worker Carolyn Rayford, the deputy regional director for Lutheran Child & Family Service.

LANSING, October 6, 2011 – Child and Family Charities (formerly Child & Family Services, Capital Area) publicly announced the organization’s name change and new logo with an unveiling of their new sign on Monday, October 3, 2011 at the agency’s main office building located at 4287 Five Oaks Drive, Lansing, MI 48911.
Attending the festivities were community leaders, board members, volunteers, and agency staff. This year marked Child and Family Charities’ 100 years of service to the mid-Michigan region, established in 1911 as Lansing Associated Charities. Michelle Reurink, President, Child and Family Charities Board of Directors, stated, “It was the significance of the anniversary combined with long- standing name ambiguity that compelled us to action in selecting a name that better reflects the agency’s focus and cultivates stronger community support.” Jim Paparella, Executive Director, added, “The new name and look takes us back to the very roots of our founding purpose as a charitable organization: to serve as an effective partner for social change through programs and initiatives which benefit children, families, and community. At the same time, the change recognizes years of strategic growth through collaboration and alliances, from the advent of Angel House to recent mergers with Lansing Teen Court and Child Abuse Prevention Services.”
The agency’s core divisions include Child Welfare Services, Family Services, Child Abuse Prevention Services, Juvenile Justice Services, and Residential Services. If you would like more information about Child and Family Charities, please call Demphna Krikorian at (517) 882-4000, extension 126 or email: demphna@childandfamily.org.

Detroit, MI (August 15, 2011). The Children’s Center is very pleased to announce that Chief Executive Officer Debora Matthews was selected to receive the 2011 EP Maxwell J. Schleifer Distinguished Service Award. This award is given to distinguished individuals as part of Disabilities Awareness Day recognition events nationwide. Debora was chosen from an impressive list of local candidates for her dedication and commitment to, and advocacy for, those with special needs.

The mission of Disability Awareness Night (DAN) is to expand awareness of the 54.6 million Americans living with disabilities, by highlighting their extraordinary achievements and the perseverance and dedication of the families, physicians, nurses, therapists, educators and other caregivers involved in their care and development. The presentation of the EP Maxwell J. Schleifer Distinguished Service Award (named after the founder and former editor-in-chief of Exceptional Parent magazine, EP) at each Disability Awareness Night signifies the remarkable accomplishments that can be achieved under difficult circumstances.

Debora was honored on August 17 at 6:30 p.m. at Comerica Park prior to the Detroit Tigers game. The Children’s Center took more than 50 children and their families to the park for the ceremony and game, compliments of sponsors Barbara Gill, Principal, Seymour Gill Financial, a MassMutual agency and their Special Care program and Exceptional Parent Magazine.

According to Debora Matthews, “This award is truly an honor. I get the greatest reward seeing hope on the faces of children when they finally understand their so-called disability really gives them the ability to strive for a greater future.”

BY ROBIN ERB DETROIT FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

Lansing Teen Court, a community-based and highly collaborative program of Child & Family Services, announced today that it has awarded Don LeDuc, president and dean of the Thomas M. Cooley Law School, with the organization's first-ever Community Recognition Award.

"To say the least, we are grateful for Don's civic-minded nature, his commitment to education and his support of creative and community-based methods of resolving juvenile justice and community challenges through collaboration," said Mike Botke, director of Teen Court.

The basis for the Community Recognition Award includes making a significant contribution to the community, whether monetary or in deed. LeDuc is the first to receive the award and was selected to honor his commitment, not only to Teen Court, but to community collaboration as well.

"Cooley is honored to be involved with the Teen Court program," said LeDuc. "Our staff, professors and students have embraced this program, as it gives a second chance to young people and provides an invaluable service to the Lansing community."

Vistas Nuevas Head Start, a program of Matrix Human Services will host its’ annual Celebrations of Culture Parade on Thursday, June 3, 2010 at 10am. More than 1400 head start children will march from Holy Redeemer Church to Clark Park in celebration of the various cultures in the Detroit community.

The Celebrations of Culture Parade will represent several countries around globe in support the diversity that is among all of us each and every day. Those countries include: Spain, Trinidad and Tabago, Hawaii, Ecuador, Ghana, Mexico, Scotland, Puerto Rico, Native American, Lebanon, Brazil, France, Portugal.

Vistas Nuevas Head Start is the largest head start program in the city of Detroit. Vistas’ has more than 1400 children annually, teaches in 3 languages (English, Spanish and Arabic) and operates 13 locations all located in Detroit’s Southwest community.

“This annual event highlights the multi-cultural community we live and serve in everyday. It is important for our children to know, celebrate and embrace the differences within all of us.” – states Debra Spring, Vice President of Education and Director of Vistas Nuevas

The Celebrations of Culture Parade will end at Clark Park with children’s activities, free food (while supplies last), vendors and community organizations supporting this wonderful event. The event is from 10am – 2pm.

Matrix Human Services, inspired by its’ heritage since 1906, advocates and serves the most vulnerable in the metropolitan Detroit community and empowers individuals and families to enhance the quality of their lives and achieve self sufficiency.

Visit www.matrixhumanservices.org for more information

Prosecutor, police chief back early childhood education, dropout prevention programs

WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 28, 2010) -- Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton and Mundy Township Police Chief James Petres traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet with Representative Dale Kildee (D-MI) to discuss opportunities to reduce crime through the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Representative Kildee will be a key legislator in the reauthorization of that bill as the chair of the House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education.

They said that providing at-risk kids with early education, keeping school-age kids on track to graduation, and reducing bullying, school violence and drug abuse would all have a positive effect on preventing later crime.

“I’d much rather focus our time, energy and taxpayer dollars on effective school reforms than pay room and board for career criminals,” Prosecutor Leyton said. “Public safety pays the toll when kids drop out of school and turn to crime rather than a career or higher education. We need to make sure kids get the right start to their education and stay on track through their school years.”

Research compiled by the anti-crime group Fight Crime: Invest in Kids also shows that a one-year increase of staying in school reduces murder and assault by almost 30 percent, motor vehicle theft by 20 percent, arson by 13 percent and burglary and larceny by about 6 percent. A study funded by the Gates Foundation found that high school dropouts are eight times more likely to be incarcerated than graduates.

Holy Cross Children's Services receives Civic Engagement Grant

Holy Cross Children's Services (HCCS), one of Michigan’s largest not-for-profit providers of services to children and families across the state, has been awarded a $6,000 grant to support civic engagement activities for youth between the ages of 17-21 who are receiving or have completed independent living services through the agency.

The grant, announced by the Alliance for Children and Families, will allow Holy Cross Children's Services to more effectively engage youth in independent living services programming as advocates with local and state officials and aid in educating the general public about the issues they face. With more than 310 members across the United States and Canada, the private, nonprofit member agencies and organizations of the Alliance for Children and Families represent a significant force in the human services sector. In all, over 3.4 million clients participate in Alliance member services annually.
Sadly, many citizens are completely unaware of the circumstances that these young people face because they are a forgotten segment of a statewide population reeling from economic woes, unemployment and related issues. The HCCS Civic Engagement Project will ideally bring a much sharper focus to the particular topic of youth in independent living, helping the public in general and policy makers specifically to better understand their circumstances and means of assisting them in succeeding. Project plans include face to face visits with members of the Michigan State Legislature, testimony to House and Senate committees, presentations to various civic groups and interviews with local media.

ALBION, MI – Starr Commonwealth, an internationally recognized nonprofit service provider of strength-based programs for at-risk youth and families, announces the addition of Elizabeth A. Carey as Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy & Administrative Services Officer.

In her new role, Carey will provide leadership for Starr’s strategic direction of investing in its people, as well as help shape the future of Starr’s talent management initiatives and business strategies. Carey has a comprehensive professional background that includes social work, government relations, statewide and national association leadership and operations.

She most recently served as the Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for the Alliance for Children and Families. She directed day-to-day operations, planned and executed strategic plans, coordinated member recruitment and retention efforts, and helped determine the public policy agenda.

Carey is no stranger to the nonprofit social service sector of Michigan. Before serving in a leadership role at the Alliance for Children and Families, Carey was Executive Director of the Michigan Federation for Children and Families, a statewide organization located in Lansing for nonprofit social service providers. While at the Michigan Federation, Carey directed the public policy efforts at state and national levels, organized and implemented grassroots advocacy efforts, and represented the federation membership with the legislature and state/federal departments.

 WASHINGTON – As president and chief executive officer of Spaulding for Children, Addie D. Williams, LMSW, JD, sits at the helm of an organization with three service entities and one overarching belief – every child is adoptable and every child deserves a permanent family. For her outstanding work on adoption issues, Senator Carl Levin, D-Mich., nominated Ms. Williams as an Angel in Adoption. She will be honored along with more than 185 Angels in Adoption at an awards celebration tomorrow in Washington, DC, sponsored by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CACI).

“I’m proud to nominate Addie Williams as a 2009 Angel in Adoption,” Sen. Levin said. “Through her compassion and leadership she has had a broad and positive impact on the lives of thousands of children and families in Michigan. This award recognizes her years of service on this issue and is just one measure of our appreciation.”

Based in Southfield, Spaulding for Children operates three programs: Child and Family Services, the Spaulding Institute for Family and Community Development, and the National Child Welfare Resource Center for Adoption. With a mission of assuring that all children grow-up in safe, permanent families and have the help they need to be successful in life, Spaulding for Children has been responsible for the adoption of more than 1,000 children, permanency for more than 500 and has trained more than 135,000 persons nationwide in its permanency techniques.

 October 18, 2009 • From Ingham County Community News
ONONDAGA – Gillian (Jill) Peck, director of quality and program development at human services agency Highfields Inc., has earned the 2009 President’s Award from the Michigan Home-Based Family Services Association (MHBFSA). The award recognizes individuals, agencies or families for imnovative contributions to home-based counseling services.
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Peck is the fourth Highfields employee to win the award. Other winners from Highfields were Clinical Director Tim Monroe, former CEO Carl Latona and administrative assistant Kris Koivu.

“Jill is a shining example of what makes Highfields so effective at working with at-risk youth and families – its people,” says Brian Philson, Highfields president and CEO.

The MHBFSA aims to strengthen families and communities through the advocacy, education and promotion of family-centered, home-based service delivery.

- From Highfields, Inc.

A special red carpet screening of "America" will take place at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History on Saturday, Feb. 28, from 7:30 to 11:30 p.m.

Proceeds will help raise money for St. Peter's Home For Boys. For ticket information and to RSVP, call Everett or Norma Andrews at (313)-846-6942 or e-mail g.everett@sphb.org.

Michigan Chronicle
By Patrick Keating

Red carpet screening set at Wright museum

The film stars Rosie O'Donnell as a therapist and Ruby Dee as the first foster mother of the main character, a boy named America, who has endured both abuse and neglect in the child welfare system.

According to executive director Gregory Everett, the facility was contacted several months ago, before filming started, by a site location manager affiliated with Sony pictures and Lifetime Entertainment who wanted to do research on residential programs in Detroit. He said the filmmakers learned about St. Peter's by Googling residential agencies in Michigan.