LIVED EXPERIENCE/TRUSTED
ADVISORS STAKEHOLDER
ENGAGEMENT CIRCLES

The Children’s Services Agency (CSA) is committed to elevating the
voices of those with lived experience within the child welfare system to
inform the work of the department. As such, we are developing a team
of Trusted Advisors with lived experience.

In the coming months, CSA will be hosting one-hour virtual
engagement circles for birth parents, kin providers and
youth/alum-of-care who are at least 18 years old and have previous
Children’s Protective Services (CPS) or foster care involvement. This is
an opportunity for those with lived experiences to share their stories,
which will serve as the basis of future discussion regarding our efforts
to enhance the work being done to support children, youth and their
families in our state. These engagement circles are designed to be safe
spaces. Birth parents are eligible to attend only if they do not have a
current open CPS or foster care case. Participants will receive a $50 gift
card as compensation for attending.

For interest in attending a birth parent engagement circle, please
contact Seth Persky at PerskyS@michigan.gov.
For interest in attending a youth/alumni-of-care (if over 18 years old)
engagement circle, please contact Elizabeth Hawrylo at
Hawryloe@michigan.gov.

For interest in attending a kin provider engagement circle, please
contact Colin Parks at ParksC@michigan.gov.