LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and the State Court Administrative Office (SCAO) have partnered to ensure that children in foster care return to permanent homes as quickly and as safely as possible during the COVID-19 health crisis.

More than 200 children in Michigan’s foster care system have been identified as being close to being able to return home to one or both parents. Child welfare officials and SCAO want to help them achieve that goal within the next month, if not sooner.

“The department believes that children should not be in foster care for any longer than absolutely necessary,” said JooYeun Chang, executive director of the Children’s Services Agency at MDHHS. “Even though we are facing numerous challenges right now, the urgency to achieve permanency for children and their families should not be slowed due to COVID-19.”

The project, called Rapid Permanency, uses a team approach involving Michigan’s public and private child welfare caseworkers, lawyers and judges to analyze cases eligible for reunification where parents have made significant progress. These stakeholders coordinate with one another to create a plan, with the input of parents, to address barriers that are currently prohibiting reunification and to facilitate the immediate referral to resources or services that can support safe and expedited permanency.

SCAO is assisting in this process by equipping courts with the tools to hold virtual hearings, as well as developing recommendations to resolve issues without the need to have hearings so no delays occur in reviewing cases, and issuing return home orders for children, when appropriate. Justice Megan Cavanagh said “During a time of crisis, taking steps to make sure children are with their parents is the right thing to do. The goal of this partnership is to remove barriers to bringing families together as quickly as possible, and judges statewide are committed to making well-informed decisions that are in the best interest of every child.”

“To achieve permanency, families need strong support and access to resources, and this partnership will play a key role in making sure children can be safely reunified with their parents. With close supervision by the judiciary and support from child welfare professionals and the community, more children can go home,” said Justice Beth Clement.

Both Justice Cavanagh and Justice Clement focus on child welfare issues for the Court.

The team approach will include assessment of parent progress, implementing strategies to address remaining barriers to reunification, creation of a family-specific plan to ensure child safety and well-being, referrals to in-home family reunification services, and obtaining agreement among team members and the Court to assure safe return.

This team-focused approach to expedited permanency has proven successful in other states and is expected to help Michigan meet the goal of reunifying children with their families as quickly as possible. The hope is that whatever is learned through this project can also inform practice well into the future to ensure children can safely remain with their parents.

Information around the outbreak is changing rapidly. The latest information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.

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The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) has provided benefits to 1,018,315 Michigan workers who are unemployed as a result of COVID-19. The agency also disbursed more than $1.66 billion in payments since March 15. The most recent U.S. Dept. of Labor report showed 1,178,021 Michiganders filed unemployment claims between March 15 – April 18. Most workers who have not yet received unemployment benefits will be eligible in the coming weeks once they complete the federal requirement to certify their claim.

“We are working hard to provide emergency financial assistance to those affected by COVID-19, with more than 1 million Michiganders receiving benefits,” said Michigan Dept. of Labor and Economic Opportunity Director Jeff Donofrio. “While Michigan’s unemployment system appears to be outpacing the rest of the country in paying benefits, much work remains for those who still need help completing their claim. We will not rest until everyone receives the benefits they are entitled to.”

In conjunction with the federal CARES Act, Michigan was among the first states in the nation to begin sending the additional $600 federal payments in Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (PUC) and make the unemployment application available to self-employed workers and independent contractors through the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA). In a recent Detroit Free Press report, Michele Evermore, senior policy analyst of Washington, D.C., nonprofit National Employment Law Project, said the state has been uniquely responsive to the crisis. Michigan is one of the few states already issuing the additional $600 pandemic benefit handed down from the federal government, she said. Evermore credited Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for improved access to benefits.

Added Capacity
The UIA has extended its call center hours and added hundreds of customer facing staff. The agency has also built in new tools to its online system connecting more than 100 staff to resolve technical issues like locked accounts.

Historical Demand
In the weeks preceding the pandemic, the UIA received around 5,000 new weekly unemployment claims. During the Great Recession, the weekly high was around 77,000 in 2009.

Unemployment claims during COVID-19:

Week-Ending March 21:             128,806

Week-Ending March 28:             304,335

Week-Ending April 4:                  388,554

Week-Ending April 11:                222,207

Week-Ending April 18:                134,119

Five Week Total:                     1,178,021

How to File and Certify
The fastest and easiest way to file and certify a claim is online at Michigan.gov/UIA. More than 90% of all claims are filed and certified on the 24hr website. Customers are urged to use the site during off-peak hours between 8pm-8am. For anyone having difficulty with their account, the UIA Call Center – 866-500-0017 – is available 8am-6pm Mon-Fri and 7am-2pm on Saturday. Customers in the call center and online chat queues before closing time will have their calls or chats resolved that day.

Information around this outbreak is changing rapidly. The latest information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.