Children Trust Michigan is the only Michigan organization whose sole focus is to proactively support programs with education, funding, and resources across the state with the goal of preventing child abuse and neglect. We are the Michigan chapter of Prevent Child Abuse America. We believe in a Michigan where children are happy, supported, and have access to a bright, safe future.
Focusing on prevention of child abuse and neglect to Michigan’s children is a critical need, one that Children Trust Michigan (formerly Children Trust Fund) and its 100+ partners across the state are confronting every day. In the early 80s, Dr. Ray Helfer, a pioneer in the field of child abuse and neglect prevention, recognized the need for a permanent source of funding for child abuse and neglect prevention. Then and now, most of the state and federal funds available are for treatment after abuse.
Dr. Helfer conceived the idea of a Children’s Trust Fund as a means for underwriting services directed at the conditions associated with child abuse and neglect and promoting positive family interaction. The idea was to establish an income tax check-off, where monies raised would be divided in half – with one-half being immediately available and one-half placed in a trust account.
In 1982, Representatives Debbie Stabenow and Curtis Hertel, Sr. translated Dr. Helfer’s idea into legislation through Public Act 249/250. In September 1982, three bills were passed by the Legislature and signed into law by Governor Milliken. The three pieces of legislation (1) authorized the State Treasurer to place a line on the state income tax form which allows taxpayers who are receiving a refund to donate a portion of the refund, (2) provided that half of the refund donations each year would go into a trust fund, and that the income tax check-off would cease when the fund reached $20 million, and (3) established a 15-member Board to administer the fund. This third legislative act also outlined the purpose and function of the Board and the trust fund.
The 15-member board, officially named the State Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board, is known as the Children’s Trust Fund Board to Prevent Child Abuse. The Governor appoints 11 of the members, including the chairperson. The other four members are appointed one each by the state departments of education, mental health, health and human services, and state police. Initial appointments to the board were made in late 1982 and, in February 1983, the Board held its first meeting.
The enabling legislation establishes both the trust fund’s purpose and priorities for funding. The Board is authorized to disburse funds for the following purposes which are listed in order of preference for expenditure:
In May of 2022, the Michigan Children’s Trust Fund revitalized its name and brand to Children Trust Michigan in effort to more directly and eloquently establish the purpose and goal of the organization.
This name conveys two primary concepts:
Learn more about our work on our new website at childrentrustmichigan.org.
