Great Lakes Wire

In recognition of the efforts of child support workers, employers, state and county departments, hospitals, and community partners to support Michigan children and families, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has declared August 2024 as Child Support Month in Michigan.

The Michigan Child Support Program aims to help families support each other both financially and emotionally. The program is a collaboration between the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) Office of Child Support (OCS), Friend of the Court offices, prosecuting attorney offices, State Court Administrative Office, employers, hospitals, and other community agencies.

“I’m proud of the work MDHHS continues to do in support of Michigan children and families,” said MDHHS Director Elizabeth Hertel. “Our Office of Child Support believes in the importance of engaging directly with those we serve to help provide vital services to children and their families across Michigan.”

“A large focus of ours in the past year has been to listen to families – to observe, ask the right questions and implement what we’ve learned,” said Erin Frisch, director of the Michigan Office of Child Support. “We strive to be thoughtful in the decisions we make by bettering our communication with those we serve. I’m proud of this program’s commitment to continuous improvement.”

The Michigan Child Support Program provides professional services to help mothers, fathers, grandparents, and guardians get financial resources for their children. It also assists parents at all income levels with obtaining financial support and medical insurance coverage for their children; helps locate parents; establishes paternity; opens and manages child support cases; and collects and disburses support payments.

Every dollar spent on the program collects $4.92 to provide support for Michigan children.

Highlights for 2023 include:

- OCS is piloting a Child Support Navigation Services program in Calhoun, Genesee, Kent, and Wayne counties. The purpose is to provide help through a process that can be complex and sometimes confusing. Parents and non-parent caregivers will be able to receive navigation services at any stage—whether they’re thinking about opening a case or if they currently pay or receive child support. Navigation services are free and participation is voluntary. Services will begin in fall 2024.

- Policy changes related to assisted reproductive technology (ART) were made to remove the requirement for donor anonymity. This policy update also allows waivers when ART is used in conception regardless of whether it was in a medical setting.

- County and state child support offices in Michigan provided services for more than 819,000 children and their families.

- More than $1.04 billion was collected and distributed to Michigan families.

- Families who receive cash assistance along with child support received $3.5 million directly instead of these funds reimbursing state and federal program costs. Gov. Whitmer created this “pass-through” allowing families additional funds beginning with the signing of the fiscal year 2020 state budget.

Additional information about Michigan’s Child Support Program is available on its fact sheet or at Michigan.gov/ChildSupport.