Friends,
There is no doubt that the past year and a half has been difficult and traumatic. The pandemic impacted families across the world and certainly right here in Michigan. If you suffered from COVID-19 or lost a loved one to this dreadful disease, my sincerest condolences. My heart and thoughts are with you and your family.
The good news is there is light at the end of the tunnel and that light grows stronger every single day! While our state works toward our goal of a 70% vaccination rate, it’s still important for all of us to continue to pay attention and follow MDHHS guidelines. The sooner we are all vaccinated, the sooner we can get back to normal.
Over this past year, I’ve been working hard in Lansing for Michigan families, fighting to ensure all residents have
adequate COVID relief and recovery resources. I have been, and will continue to, proudly advocate for equitable and quality education as well as more affordable, available, and accessible childcare for all. I hope you find the contents of this newsletter helpful as we look forward to spending the summer days ahead making memories with our families and loved ones.
If you have concerns, problems, or need any help finding a vaccine or dealing with a state-related issue such as unemployment or rental assistance, please reach out to my office. You can email me at SenRBayer@senate.michigan.gov or call me at (517) 373-2417 (or toll-free at (888) 347-8012). I wish you a wonderful, healthy, and healing summer.
Working Hard for You in Lansing,
Rosemary Bayer
State Senator
12th District
Email: SenRBayer@senate.michigan.gov
Web: SenatorBayer.com
Toll-free: (855) DIST012 or (855) 347-8012
Helpful Hotlines
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
MI Department of Health & Human Services
Adult Home Help/Chore Services ………………………..(800) 979-4662
Bridge Card (EBT) – Customer Service ……………….(888) 678-8914
Centralized Intake – 24-hour Hotline –
for abuse/neglect complaints ………………………………(855) 444-3911
Home Help Provider Support Services ……………..(800) 979-4662
MIChild ……………………………………………………………………………(888) 988-6300
Protection & Advocacy Services –
Disability Ombudsman …………………………………………….(800) 288-5923
Rehabilitation Services ……………………………………………..(800) 605-6722
Women, Infants & Children (WIC) ………………………..(800) 225-5942
HEALTH INSURANCE
Attorney General –
Health Care Fraud Division – 24-hour Hotline …(800) 242-2873
Medicaid Provider Help ……………………………………………(800) 292-2550
Medicare (including Part D) ……………………………………(800) 633-4227
MI Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs –
for health facility complaints ………………………………….(800) 882-6006
MI Enrolls – Medicaid Managed Care and MI Rx –
Drug Discount Program …………………………………………..(888) 367-6557
MI Medicaid Customer Help –
Benefi ciary Hotline ……………………………………………………(800) 642-3195
TAXES AND TRANSPORTATION
MI Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs –
Public Service Commission …………………………………….(800) 292-9555
MI Department of Treasury –
State Income Tax Hotline …………………………………………(517) 636-4486
MI Driver Responsibility Program – Michigan Accounts
Receivable Collection System………………………………..(800) 950-6227
OTHER RESOURCES
Administration on Aging – Eldercare Locator …(800) 677-1116
Michigan United Way Help Line ……………………………………………….2-1-1
National Domestic Violence –
24-hour Confidential Hotline …………………………………(800) 799-7233
Social Security Administration ………………………………(800) 772-1213
The Heat & Warmth Fund (THAW) ……………………….(800) 866-8429
Family Resources
Healthy Michigan
Michigan.gov/HealthyMichigan
Did you know that healthy eating can help pave the way to academic success? Start the summer off right by planning fun, nutritious meals and snacks full of calcium, iron, and vitamin C. You can fi nd calcium in milk, yogurt,
and leafy green vegetables. Dried fruits, chicken, and beans are great sources of iron, and oranges, broccoli, and strawberries are chock full of vitamin C.
Parent Coalition
(248) 333-9545
Parent Coalition is a network of parents who support each other and families in Oakland County. You can meet other
area parents, have input in community childhood services and how they are delivered, and help share information about resources with other parents who might benefit from knowing about them. Women, Infants and Children
Oakland County Health Department
WIC Office
(248) 858-1272 or
(888) 350-0900, ext. 81272
Administered by the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services, the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) is a health and nutrition program that serves low and moderate-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum women, infants, and children up to age 5 who are found to be at nutritional risk.
Building the K-12 Budget
As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, my biggest responsibility in Lansing is to pass a budget for the people of Michigan. Due to COVID-19, this year is a bit different.
Thanks to a generous amount of money provided from Congress and the President, the Michigan Legislature has more money to work with for our budget this year.
These federal funds were allocated to help jump-start our economy, but they also serve to make our schools safer and more effective in the wake of the pandemic. As we continue
to talk and negotiate through the upcoming budgets and ensuing supplemental budgets, my priority is getting our children back in schools safely so they can catch up on the integral learning opportunities that were lost this past
year.
Our children deserve the opportunity to succeed, no matter where they are in the state. Creating an equitable system is necessary for their future, our economy, and for everyone. We have an incredible opportunity with these federal funds to help our educators and school administrators in the wake of the pandemic, and I hope we can all work together to put these federal dollars to good use for Michigan’s students and their future.
Getting the Right Start
Countless studies show that children who attend
high-quality, center-based childcare, pre kindergarten, or preschool programs tend to have better pre-academic and language skills, perform better in math and reading in the early grades of elementary school, and have improved outcomes among children in families with low education or low incomes.
Early On® Oakland
Early On® Oakland is a program available to any Oakland County family with a child who is a newborn or as old as age 3 who has a developmental delay or an established medical condition. For free information and resources about your child’s development, call (248) 209-2084 or toll-free at (866) 456-2084.
Great Start
Michigan’s Great Start Readiness Preschool Program (GSRP) provides state-funded preschool at no cost to the students’ families. The GSRP program currently provides preschool to Michigan’s 4-year-olds with factors that may place them at risk of educational failure.
To find out more about GSRP in Oakland County:
Phone: (844) 456-KIDS (844-456-5437)
Email: freepreschool@oakland.k12.mi.us
Website: freepreoakland.org.
You can also visit greatstartoakland.org for information about additional resources available and to learn more about free programs and events for children in our area.
Help Me Grow Oakland
Help Me Grow Oakland exists to help parents and guardians connect with early childhood services offered in Oakland County, including connections to resources, developmental screenings, answers to questions, early childhood programming, and parenting support. Call (844) 456-5437 to learn more.
Getting the Right Start
Childcare Options
If your child is too young for free preschool programs or your family is not eligible, you can learn more about childcare centers and home-based early childhood programs in your area
by contacting the folks at Great Start to Quality. They help families find and choose quality childcare programs that meet their children’s needs. The Wayne-Oakland-Macomb Resource Center serves families in the tri-county area.
For more information:
Website: greatstarttoquality.org
Toll-free: (877) 614-7328
Email: GSQWOM@LiveUnitedSEM.org
Childcare Assistance
Finding and paying for childcare can be tough, especially at the start of the school year. If you need financial assistance, call Michigan’s Childcare Fund Unit Manager at (517) 335-3919 to determine your eligibility.
