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Barry County staff presents 2025–26 Child Care Fund plan; commissioners recommend submission to state
Summary
County staff outlined changes required by Michigan juvenile justice reform, described a shift to higher reimbursement for community-based care and requested authorization to submit the FY2026 Child Care Fund plan and budget to the state; commissioners voted to recommend approval and authorize the chair to sign.
County staff presented the Barry County Child Care Fund plan and budget for fiscal year 2026, asking the Committee of the Whole to recommend submission to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services for approval and to authorize the chair to sign.
The presentation described required changes under Michigan’s juvenile justice reform: new risk-and-needs assessments, detention and diversion screening, mental-health screening and evidence‑based probation standards. Staff said these changes are mandatory for continued state funding and described a quality‑assurance plan the county is developing to track program effectiveness and data accuracy.
“Part of quality assurance also is making sure we collect the correct data and make sure we can analyze that data and make sure our data is accurate,” said David, a county staff member who presented the plan. He said training for staff to administer the new screens is included in the plan and that the current wraparound coordinator’s duties would absorb work on quality assurance rather than creating a new position.
David told commissioners the state now reimburses 75% of community‑based care costs, up from about 50% previously, but the higher reimbursement applies to community‑based services only; out‑of‑home care (residential treatment and detention) remains reimbursed at 50%. He said the county’s net fiscal position improved under the new reimbursement rules and that a recent run of the numbers showed a net gain of roughly $150,000 compared with the prior year.
David also said the county had filed a letter of intent for a CHIL grant and that the application would be due Sept. 17. He asked the board to authorize the chair to sign required state paperwork (form 2091) so he could submit the plan and budget to DHS.
Commissioner Colton moved to recommend to the Board of Commissioners approval of the 2025–26 Child Care Fund plan and budget and to authorize the chair to sign; Commissioner Hatfield supported the motion and the committee approved it by voice vote. The committee chair declared the motion carried.
The county will forward the plan and budget to the state for review and approval per the usual DHS requirements.
