Requests Under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)

If you seek additional documentation concerning a facility, you may may submit a FOIA request to the Bureau of Children and Adult Licensing for information regarding Adult Foster Care Facilities, Child Care Centers and Homes, Camps, and Child Welfare Facilities in any of four ways:

1. By completing and submitting the online FOIA submission form .
   
2. Via e-mail to bfsfoia@michigan.gov . Clearly specify that you are making a FOIA request in your email. 
   
3. By sending a written request using conventional mail to:
   FOIA Request
   Michigan Department of Human Services
   Bureau of Children and Adult Licensing
   7109 W. Saginaw, 2nd Floor
   P.O. Box 30650
   Lansing, MI  48909-8150. 
   
4. By FAX to (517) 335-6121. Please clearly specify that you are making a FOIA request on the fax.  

You must include the following information in your FOIA request:

• Your name and complete mailing address
• The name of the registrant/licensee or the name of the registered/licensed home or facility.
• The address of the registered/licensed home or facility.
• The type of licensed home or facility, such as a child care center, adult foster care facility.
• The specific document or documents you are requesting. 
• The registration/license number of the home or facility, if known.  

You may request a specific document or documents from the file or you may request the entire file. The type of documents most generally requested include the licensing study report which summarizes the findings of our licensing inspection and special investigation reports which summarize the nature of a complaint, our investigation methods and findings, and our recommendations. You may request:

• The most recent, specific type of report (e.g., licensing study report, special investigation report, etc.).
• A specific type of report for a specific period of time (e.g., all special investigation reports from the past 3 years).
• All reports on this registrant/licensee. 

Fees

Please be aware that there are charges for FOIA requests.  Fees include .05 cents a page for copying, actual mailing and postage costs, and exact time and labor costs to search for the record and prepare it for release in accordance with applicable statutes.  Labor costs are determined by the pay rate of the lowest paid employee who is capable of responding to the request. A good faith deposit may be required for requests whose cost will exceed $50.

About the Bureau of Children and Adult Licensing and the Michigan Freedom of Information Act

Michigan's Freedom of Information Act permits anyone to request and receive any documents in our possession which are not protected by confidentiality laws.  Generally, we are able to provide the requested documents within the 5 business days allowed by the FOIA statute.  Some records are not kept in our central office where FOIA requests are handled.  If we need to retrieve requested records from the State's Record Center or from one of our 20 field offices located throughout the state, we send a letter to the requester to provide notice that we are taking the 10 business day extension allowed by the statute to provide the requested documents.  We begin counting the 5 business days on the business day following the date the request is received by BCAL. This means that we will mail out the request or have it available for pick up on the fifth business day.

BCAL does not release information regarding a complaint investigation that is ongoing.  Once the complaint investigation report has been finalized, it becomes available under FOIA.  BCAL is required to protect the names of children and adults receiving care in licensed homes/facilities and the names of their families; social security numbers; medical/psychological reports; and any information related to investigations or records made under the Child Protection Law. All of this information is confidential and protected from disclosure by State or Federal statute.  Additionally, BCAL is prohibited by statute from copying any record produced from the Michigan Department of State Police's Law Enforcement Information Network.

Lists of Registered/Licensed Homes/Facilities

The following statewide lists are also available:

· Statewide List of Adult Foster Care  (delimited file)
· Statewide List of Child Care Centers and Homes  (delimited file)
· Statewide List of Child Welfare Facilities  (delimited file)

Lists of registered/licensed homes and facilities are available by county.  The statewide and county lists typically include the name, address and phone number of the registrant/licensee and the home or facility, the licensed capacity, and the status and effective dates of the registration/license.