Michigan Family Impact Seminar

Each year, IPPSR co-hosts the Michigan Family Impact Seminar focusing on singular topics illuminating the special needs of families.

This year's seminar focuses on "Policy Options for Justice Reinvestment in Michigan: Implications for Families."

It will be presented Thursday, March 12, 2009, beginning with a legislative lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., followed by a roundtable discussion from 1 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. The seminar will take place at the Farnum Building in downtown Lansing, Room 810, 8th Floor.

Presentations

Council of State Governments Justice Center, New York, NY
"Justice Reinvestment in Michigan: Analyses and Policy Options"

Family Justice, New York, NY
"Strengthening Michigan Families: An Innovative Approach to Justice System Reform"

To RSVP or for more information contact:
Jessica Hamel or Angela Cuellar
Michigan State University Department of Family & Child Ecology
Phone: 517-355-0166
Email: hameljes@msu.edu or cuellara@msu.edu

Print a flyer about the Family Impact Seminar.

The Michigan Family Impact Seminars are a collaborative effort of Michigan State University’s Department of Family and Child Ecology and the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research (IPPSR), along with the Wayne State University School of Social Work. Funds for this effort are contributed by The Skillman Foundation and MSU’s Families and Communities Together Coalition (FACT). These seminars are part of a national network of seminars for state legislators coordinated by the Policy Institute for Family Impact Seminars at the University of Wisconsin.

About the Seminars

Family Impact Seminars are nonpartisan educational forums focused on family issues and held for an audience of policymakers. The forum provides a platform for nationally recognized scholarly experts to present current, objective non-partisan research information to help policymakers assess the impact of policies and programs on the family. Family Impact Seminars critically examine the past, present, or probable future effects of a policy, program, or service on family well-being just as others examine policy and program impact on the economy or the environment. Seminar attendance is recruited among state legislators and their aides, Governor's Office staff, state agency representatives, state department directors, educators, and key professional leaders.

Resources and Products

A Legislative Advisory Committee selects issues for seminars based on emerging legislative need. The seminars are coordinated, and policy briefs summarizing the discussions and providing additional background information on the issues is published and widely distributed.

Topics addressed by previous Michigan Family Impact Seminars include:

• Child Care and Education
• Children and Divorce
• Promising Approaches for Reducing Youth Violence
• Urban Youth Violence in Michigan
• Moving Families Out of Poverty
• What about Me? Children with Incarcerated Parents
• Prostituted Teens: More than a Runaway Problem

Selecting the Seminar Topics

Prior to selecting the topics of Health Care (October 7, 2003) and Welfare Reform (November 4, 2003), many discussions were held with key state legislators and practitioners around the state to identify a family policy-related issue that legislators are grappling with, need more research and experiential knowledge as well as information on best practices, and match scholarly expertise. Those consulted include:

House Representative Stephen Ehardt, House Health Policy Chair
House Representative Artina Tinsley, Family and Children Services Vice Chair
Vernon Smith, Ph.D., Former State Health Dept. Director and Health Management Consultant
Vondie Moore Woodbury, Project Director, Muskegon Community Health Project
Paul Shaheen, Executive Director, Michigan Council for Maternal and Child Health
Bill Long, Michigan Federation of Private Child & Family Agencies
Patricia L. Sorenson, Vice President for Policy at Michigan's Children
Donna Massie, Dpt. Head, School and Neighborhood Services, Mott Children’s Health Center
Greater Flint Health Coalition
Ann McMillan, Covering Michigan’s Kids

Family Impact Seminar Planners from MSU’s ICYF attended a meeting with the Detroit –Wayne County Child Health Care Coalition on June 24 to listen to the members’ concerns related to children’s health and access. The group was comprised of headstart personnel, county health, mental health, and FIA personnel and Michigan 4C staff. Additional conversations are scheduled with Vernice Davis Anthony, Greater Detroit Area Health Council and Marianne Udow, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Chair of the Access to Health Care Coalition.

See archived information about previous year's events.

More information about the Family Impact Seminar

Questions about this initiative may be directed to the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research via AnnMarie Schneider at annmarie@msu.edu or 517-355-6672; the Department of Family and Child Ecology via Laura Bates at bateslau@msu.edu or 517-353-6617, or Wayne State University via Eileen Trzcinski at aa2705@wayne.edu.

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