LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Despite Michigan’s efforts to improve its foster care system, there remains a critical shortage of foster homes for the state’s most vulnerable children. While foster care numbers have halved from a decade ago, the state still grapples with meeting the needs of approximately 10,000 children in care.

Traverse City’s Child and Family Services of Northwestern Michigan (CFS) and Bethany Christian Services (BCS) emphasize that the lack of available foster homes, particularly for sibling groups, is one of the biggest challenges. In a statement to Northern Express, Bethany Christian Services Branch Director Chelsea Hill talks about their goals saying, “We believe that every child deserves to feel safe, loved, and connected. Our services are designed around that vision.”

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Founded in 1937 and 1944, respectively, CFS and BCS play vital roles in connecting foster children with local families. Covering over 30 counties statewide, these organizations collectively advocate for the safety and well-being of approximately 120 children each year.

Child welfare remains a primary focus for the two groups, with a strong emphasis on family reunification. “We’re in the business of removing the barriers that brought that child into care (in the first place),” CFS Executive Director Gina Aranki says. “We always say at CFS that the best day is when a kid goes back home, whatever that looks like.”

In the middle of challenging times that impact families, children need a safe and temporary home. That’s when foster families step up to provide support.

A call for community action: more foster families needed.

Both CFS and BCS urge local families to consider fostering, emphasizing that the primary requirement is a safe and loving environment, not homeownership or financial affluence. The process involves orientation, background checks, and a home inspection to ensure safety standards.

Foster families are especially needed for older children and sibling groups. Hill says, “We get about 15 to 20 calls and emails per day looking for accommodation replacements, most of them for sibling sets, from around the state. That’s our most significant challenge.”

Falling through the cracks.

Other challenges include the state’s monitoring of the children who are in foster care and providing them with needed services. As children entering foster care often have more severe needs than before, some of the state’s interventions are proving insufficient. The lack of specialized services, like Medicaid-accepting therapists and psychiatric facilities, leaves children without the critical mental health care they require, forcing some to seek help in distant cities like Detroit and Grand Rapids.

The system is overwhelmed: abuse, neglect, and government failures.