Michigan’s Largest Private Provider of Foster and Adoption Care Makes Change
Lutheran Social Services of Michigan becomes Samaritas
Michigan’s largest private provider of foster care and adoption services is announcing a major change. Lutheran Social Services of Michigan is now calling itself Samaritas. “That name reflected our origins which were an outgrowth of the ELCA Lutheran Church. While we’re very proud of those roots, we’ve always been an organization that has provided services to all people, regardless of their faith, regardless of their affiliation, regardless of any identity that they have,” said Sean deFour, Vice President of Children and Family Services. deFour says none of the agency’s programs will change under the new name. After 80 years as Lutheran Social Services of Michigan, deFour said the change more closely reflects the agency’s mission to be inclusive. “Often times people either wouldn’t seek us out for services, wouldn’t think about us an agency that they would support, wouldn’t consider us as an agency that they would want to adopt or foster through, because there was a misperception that one needed to be a Lutheran to be served by us or to be employed by us or to be a part of us, and that’s never been the case”.
