What Is an Adult Foster Care Home in Michigan?
Short answer: An adult foster care (AFC) home in Michigan is a licensed residence where adults who need supervision, personal care or protection live together and get help with daily life. They aren’t nursing homes. AFC homes don’t provide round-the-clock skilled nursing. They give a home setting with meals, oversight, medication help and a caregiver on hand.
Michigan AFC at a glance
- Who licenses them: the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Bureau of Community and Health Systems.
- The law: the Adult Foster Care Facility Licensing Act (1979 PA 218) plus LARA’s licensing rules for each home type.
- Sizes: Family Home, up to 6 residents; Small Group Home, up to 12; Large Group Home, 13 to 20.
- Who lives there: adults 18 and older, including older adults and adults with developmental disabilities, mental illness or physical disabilities.
What an AFC home actually provides
Michigan law describes adult foster care as room and board plus supervision, personal care and protection for adults who need it. Day to day, that usually means:
- A furnished bedroom, shared living space and three meals a day
- Someone responsible on site whenever residents are home
- Help with medications, reminders and appointments
- Personal care such as bathing, dressing and grooming, for residents who need it
- Laundry, housekeeping and a predictable daily routine
What they don’t provide is skilled nursing. Someone who needs continuous nursing care generally belongs in a nursing facility, not an AFC home.
The three main license types
AFC Family Home (up to 6 residents). The licensee lives in the home. It’s a private house with a few residents, and the most common way people get started.
AFC Small Group Home (up to 12 residents). Usually staffed in shifts rather than by a live-in licensee. Group homes have extra fire safety requirements. Homes with 7 or more residents need a fire safety plan review by the Bureau of Fire Services.
AFC Large Group Home (13 to 20 residents). Same idea at a larger scale, with more staff and stricter building requirements.
Michigan also licenses Homes for the Aged, which serve people 55 and older in larger settings. That’s a separate license from adult foster care.
AFC homes vs. assisted living and nursing homes
Michigan doesn’t issue a license called “assisted living.” Many places marketed as assisted living are licensed as AFC homes or Homes for the Aged. The real difference is the level of care. AFC homes handle supervision and personal care in a home setting. Nursing homes provide 24-hour skilled nursing under a separate license and payment system.
Who pays for AFC
Many residents pay with Supplemental Security Income (SSI). The state sets those rates. In 2026, the monthly total for an SSI resident receiving personal care is $1,151.50: the home receives $1,107.50 and the resident keeps a $44 personal allowance. Other residents pay privately, and some are placed and funded through their county’s Community Mental Health (CMH) agency. Medicare doesn’t pay for living in an AFC home.
From experience
Our home served independent residents: adults who handled their own showering and personal care and took part in a job or day program. That’s a very different home to run than one serving people who need hands-on care. Before you choose a home, for yourself or a family member, ask exactly which residents the home is set up to serve.
Harold Morgan ran a licensed adult foster care home in Michigan for more than 20 years.
How to check a home’s license
LARA keeps a public search of licensed adult foster care homes, including inspection and investigation reports. Look up any home by name or address before you visit, and read its most recent reports.
Free: the Michigan AFC Licensing Checklist
Every step, form and inspection item for opening a licensed AFC home in Michigan, on two printable pages.
Frequently asked questions
Is adult foster care only for seniors?
No. Michigan AFC homes serve adults 18 and older, including younger adults with developmental disabilities or mental illness.
Do AFC homes have nurses?
Usually not on staff around the clock. Caregivers handle personal care and medications. Residents see their own doctors, and some receive home health or hospice visits.
How do I start my own AFC home?
It starts with a call to LARA’s AFC licensing unit and an information meeting with the licensing consultant for your county. The Michigan AFC Startup Playbook walks through every step.
This article is general information, not legal or financial advice. Rules, rates and forms change. Confirm current requirements with LARA’s Bureau of Community and Health Systems (AFC licensing: 1-866-685-0006) or MDHHS before you rely on them.
