As part of an effort to make it easier
for families to navigate the child support system, the Michigan Department of
Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and Wayne County Friend of the Court are
piloting a child support navigator program.
The goal of the navigator program is to increase access to child support-related information and resources among payers and recipients of support, as well as future parents and others served by the child support program.
“We understand that navigating the child support system can be confusing,” said MDHHS Director Elizabeth Hertel. “The navigator program is intended to assist families so that children can get the financial support they need and deserve. We will assist both payers and recipients with support, as well as others served by the child support system.”
The MDHHS Office of Child Support received feedback from the OCS Community Advisory Council and others that the child support program can be complicated and difficult to navigate for its participants. The navigator program was developed in response to that feedback.
The pilot program will offer five child support navigators in Wayne County, all employed by MDHHS. The Office of Child Support is seeking partner agencies that serve participants who have child support cases to host the navigators by providing workspace at their agencies. The partnership will be conducted under a Memorandum of Understanding with MDHHS.
Michigan’s Office of Child Support will host a conference call at 2 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 26, to share more information about child support navigators in Wayne County and the search for partner organizations to house navigators.
The conference call will also provide more information on how agencies and organizations can communicate their interest to the Office of Child Support. Navigators are expected to begin providing services to child support participants in summer 2024. Contact Julie Vandenboom at vandenboomj@michigan.gov for the link to the conference call.
