Michigan's diligent recruitment plan describes its foster care navigator program as an important strategy in supporting prospective foster parents. A Foster Care Navigator (FCN) is someone who serves as a liaison between current and prospective foster parents and their agency. Each Foster Care Navigator will mentor, through their own experience, parents navigating through the world of foster care. Modeled after the Michigan Adoption Resource Exchange (MARE) Adoption Navigator program, Foster Care Navigators are trained and experienced current and former foster parents who have navigated through their own foster care experiences. Each year, over 2,000 new family inquiries are received through the Foster Care Navigator program, of which over 150 families are actively engaged in Foster Care Navigator services and working toward foster parent licensure at any given time.

Michigan’s foster parent diligent recruitment plan refers to a pilot program to test enhanced mentoring of foster parents who accept children with complex needs, especially those returning from congregate care.