Foster Care Department
Open your heart. Open your home.
About Our Foster Care Program
Forever Families is here to support you every step of the way on your journey to foster care. We provide comprehensive training, ongoing support, and resources to help you make a difference in a child's life.
Our experienced team works closely with foster families to ensure they feel confident and well-equipped to meet the unique needs of each child. We believe that every child deserves a safe, loving home, and we're committed to finding the right families to provide that care.
Whether you're just beginning to explore foster care or ready to take the next step, we're here to answer your questions and guide you through the process.
Forever Families foster parents are essential members of the foster care team for each child. Forever Families will provide training and support services to assist foster parents in fulfilling this role, including regular meetings with the case worker and monthly foster parent support group meetings. Forever Families needs foster parents who want to be full team members and welcome frequent agency contact.
Characteristics of Adults Most Likely to Succeed with Foster Children:
Can tolerate verbal hostility and respond in ways that help de-escalate the youth’s anger.
Accepts themselves and does not expect a foster child to fulfill their unmet needs.
Can communicate effectively.
Understands the importance of maintaining connections.
Has a strong support network.
Can demonstrate empathy, patience and flexibility.
Frequently Asked Questions
Forever Families welcomes and encourages all individuals/families to apply, regardless of sexual orientation, gender, identity and expression (SOGIE).
Reunification is the primary goal of Michigan’s foster care system. Foster care specialists work with birth parents to help eliminate the barriers that brought their child into care. If court deems it unsafe for a child to ever return home other permanency goals, such as adoption, will be explored.
Foster parents through the State of Michigan receive a daily rate for each foster child in their home. This amount is determined by the child’s age and individual needs. These funds are intended to assist the foster family with the child’s daily expenses. Foster parents are also eligible to receive daycare assistance (if employed or a full-time student) and WIC assistance for infants and toddlers. Children in foster care are provided with Medicaid for medical, mental health and dental needs/expenses.
Criminal history does not automatically exclude someone from becoming a foster parent.
Licensing rules require both individuals of a married couple to be applicants on the license. Significant others are not required to be applicants on the license, but will be listed as adult household members and required to do necessary paperwork and background checks.
Forever Families welcomes any individual and families of any relationship status.
Yes, many foster parents maintain employment outside of their home. Daycare assistance is available through DHHS for working families, regardless of income.
Foster care is the temporary care of children who have been removed from their homes and are unable to safely live with their birth parent/legal guardian.
Contact a Foster Care Agency in Livonia, MI
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to our Foster Care Team or Submit an Inquiry Form.
Krystal Smith
Program Director
Rachel O'Neill
Foster Care Supervisor
Olivia Herczak
Foster Care Supervisor
Stacie Nedwid
Foster Care Coordinator
Brittani Evans
Foster Care Supervisor
