MI HB5444

Creates the kinship caregiver navigator program to provide resources and support services to kinship caregivers raising children in Michigan.

Requires the Department of Health and Human Services to contract with a third-party provider to deliver navigator services, including staffing knowledgeable navigators and establishing a statewide toll-free telephone number.

Mandates the navigator services provider establish a website offering information on legal services, financial assistance, health care, mental health, substance use disorder services, child care, support groups, and resources for children with special needs.

Navigator services provider must consult with an advisory council on program design, develop navigator training materials based on industry best practices, and share aggregate service data with the council.

Creates the kinship caregiver navigator fund within the state treasury to be administered by the Department's children's services agency, with federal reimbursement of 50% of program costs under federal law (42 USC 627 and 671).