By Kevin Lavery, WKAR News
LANSING, MI –
With the start of school less than a month away, state officials are launching a readiness program to help parents prepare their children for class. The Michigan Department of Human Services is offering eligible families a $79 per child allowance for school clothes. Director Ismael Ahmed says the program is part of a major push towards child welfare reform:
"So, there's a larger effort going on here making sure that kids are safe, kids are protected, they have the things that they need in life, and for school in particular," he says.
The state is also launching a child abuse and neglect prevention pilot program, which will help children stay with their families in five communities across the state.