MDHHS Raises Awareness of Child Abuse Prevention, Continues Improving System

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is working to improve the child welfare system and to raise awareness of preventing child abuse and neglect.

If you see pinwheels around town, they are part of a campaign to remind people that child abuse is preventable. There were over 16,000 child abuse and neglect cases confirmed in Michigan last year. The Children’s Trust Fund, a part of MDHHS, serves as a voice for Michigan’s children and uses April as a time to raise awareness.

MDHHS has been under court monitoring since 2008 to address problems with their child welfare management. Judge Nancy G. Edmunds referred to the oversight, saying she saw “hard work with still more to come.” She said, “But we’re starting to see at least flags toward the finish line down the road sooner than we may have anticipated in January.”

Some of the new strategies of the child welfare system include improved collaboration, quicker family reunification, keeping siblings together in foster care, limiting use of emergency or temporary facilities, and ensuring that placements with relatives are safe.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Friends of the St Clair River Using EGLE Grant to Continue Growth

The Friends of the St. Clair River are part of a $600,000 grant program administered by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy. The grants are for conservation and educational efforts.

The Friends of the St. Clair River received $40,000, the maximum allowable grant amount.  Friends President, Sheri Faust, said that the organization is “deepening its roots across Michigan’s Thumb Coast to better serve our region’s long-term environmental health and improve awareness for St. Clair County’s natural resources.”

The St. Clair County organization works to protect and restore water resources in the St. Clair River watershed. As demand for services rises, the organization needs to scale to meet demand. Faust said the organization is hiring its first-ever Executive Director.

Expressing thanks for the EGLE grant, Faust said the money will be used to build “boots on the ground to support our organization with conservation and education efforts.” Future projects include education on urban and agriculture pollution sources.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Local Couple Can Help Choreograph Memorable Wedding Dances

Want to kick your wedding up a notch? A local couple has just the thing. Dan and AnnaLee Higgins, a local married couple who are both professional dance instructors and theatrical performers, are offering wedding dance choreography and lessons.

The entrepreneurs were recently married and had a chance to impress their reception guests with their own professionally choreographed dance. They want to share that feeling of wowing the guests with other couples.

Mr. and Mrs. Higgins met while performing at a theater in Indiana and eventually decided to make Port Huron their home. They both teach dance lessons at Mainstreet Dance Connection in Port Huron.

AnnaLee said that wedding dances are a fun surprise when guests don’t expect a choreographed number from non-dancers. She said that they can choreograph dances for any event, not just weddings.

The Higgins’ can also work with people who are not comfortable with dancing to make them more at ease at events where dancing is expected, and with traditional father-daughter, or mother-son wedding dances.

Photo by Mulberry & Sage Photography
www.mulberryandsage.com

https://mainstreetdance.wixsite.com/mainstreetdance/wedding-event-choreography

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland