Michigan Kinship Care Resource Center and Navigator Program

Free Help for Michigan Kinship Families

If you're a grandparent or relative who suddenly has a child in your care, you don't have to figure everything out alone. Michigan runs one of the more developed kinship navigator programs in the country, anchored by the MSU Kinship Care Resource Center.

The MSU Kinship Care Resource Center

Based at Michigan State University, the Kinship Care Resource Center (KCRC) is funded by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and serves kinship families statewide. Their services are free.

What they offer:

• A toll-free helpline at 1-800-535-1218 staffed by navigators who can talk through your situation and connect you to local resources
• County-by-county legal clinic referrals for families who need help with guardianship petitions or custody questions
• General legal information guides (though not legal advice or representation)
• Guidance on applying for benefits through MI Bridges — including FIP Child-Only grants, Medicaid, and food assistance
• Support groups and community connections for kinship caregivers
• Model templates for Temporary Authorization for Kinship Care documents

The KCRC operates through a statewide network that reaches urban, suburban, and rural counties. Whether you're in Wayne County or the Upper Peninsula, a navigator can help you locate the closest legal aid office, county health department, or school liaison.

The Kinship Navigator Program

Michigan's Kinship Caregiver Navigator Program was codified under MCL 400.813 through 2020 PA 178. There's a legislative asterisk: the enabling legislation was tie-barred to a bill the Governor vetoed, making the statute technically ineffective on paper. But the program itself runs at full capacity through MDHHS administrative funding, federal Title IV-E and IV-B kinship navigator grants, and direct contracts with MSU.

Governor Whitmer proclaimed September 2026 as Kinship Care Month, citing approximately 53,000 children in Michigan living in kinship care outside the foster system and over 4,800 in formal foster care with relatives.

When to Call

Call the KCRC when you need:

• Help understanding what legal authority you have (or need) over a child in your care
• A referral to a legal aid organization that handles kinship cases in your county
• Guidance navigating MI Bridges applications for benefits
• Information about school enrollment rights under MCL 380.1148
• Someone to talk to who understands what kinship families go through

What the Navigator Can't Do

Navigators provide information and referrals — they don't provide legal representation, file court petitions on your behalf, or make decisions about your family's situation. If you need a lawyer for a guardianship filing, they'll connect you with legal aid. If you need to apply for benefits, they'll walk you through the MI Bridges process. But the actual applications and filings are yours to complete.

Pairing Free Help With a Practical Framework

The KCRC is an essential first call. For an organized reference that puts Michigan's consent rules, school enrollment steps, medical authority pathways, and document tracking into a single working system, the Michigan School and Medical Consent Guide complements navigator support with printable tools you can take to the school office or doctor's appointment.

See more Michigan guides →