Michigan Expands child Welfare Workforce Development Program
LANSING – The Michigan department of health adn Human Services (MDHHS) is bolstering its efforts to address the state’s child welfare worker shortage by expanding its partnership wiht public universities.Ferris State University, Oakland University, and Eastern Michigan University have recently joined the federally funded Title IV-E Child welfare stipend Program.
This program offers financial assistance – between $5,000 and $15,000 per semester – to social work students in exchange for a commitment to work in under-resourced communities following graduation. Currently managed by the University of Michigan, the expansion brings the total number of participating universities statewide to eight.
To date, 82 students are enrolled in the program, with 25 having already completed it. Notably, 19 graduates are now employed by the MDHHS, directly contributing to the state’s child welfare services.
State leaders emphasize the critical importance of this initiative in tackling the ongoing shortage of qualified child welfare professionals. Increased funding, rising from $1.7 million to $4.5 million, is enabling universities like ferris State to better prepare the next generation of professionals dedicated to serving Michigan’s children and families.
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