What Is a Michigan AFC License? A Family Guide to Adult Foster Care Regulation

When you tour a small residential memory care home in Michigan, the operator will mention they're "AFC licensed." That license isn't a marketing badge — it's a state regulatory designation with real meaning. Here's what AFC licensing actually means, what it requires, and why families should verify it before placing a loved one.

What is an AFC license?

An Adult Foster Care (AFC) license is a Michigan state license that authorizes a residential home to provide 24-hour personal care, supervision, and protection to adults who can't live entirely independently. The Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), specifically the Bureau of Community and Health Systems (BCHS), issues and regulates AFC licenses under Michigan's Adult Foster Care Facility Licensing Act (Public Act 218 of 1979).

The four sizes of AFC homes

Michigan AFC licensing comes in four sizes, based on the number of residents the home can accept:

  • Family Home — 1 to 6 residents in a private home where the licensee lives on-site
  • Small Group Home — 1 to 6 residents, no licensee residency requirement
  • Medium Group Home — 7 to 12 residents
  • Large Group Home — 13 to 20 residents

For memory care specifically, the Small Group Home (six bedrooms) is widely considered the best-suited structure: small enough to feel like a home, structured enough to provide professional 24/7 care.

What AFC licensing requires

An AFC-licensed home must meet state standards across several categories:

  • Staffing. Minimum caregiver-to-resident ratios, awake overnight staff for residents who need it, criminal background checks on every employee, and TB testing.
  • Training. All caregivers must complete training in residents' rights, medication administration (if delegated), first aid, CPR, and reporting suspected abuse or neglect.
  • Physical environment. Fire safety, emergency evacuation plans, accessible bathrooms, adequate bedroom size, secure medication storage, and proper food storage and preparation.
  • Care planning. Each resident must have a written care plan addressing health, behavioral, and personal-care needs.
  • Residents' rights. AFC residents have specific legal rights under Michigan law, including the right to make decisions about their care, refuse treatment, and not be restrained except under narrow circumstances.
  • Inspections. AFC homes are inspected periodically by state licensing consultants. Inspection findings become part of the home's public record.

How to verify an AFC home's license

Before you place a loved one, verify the home's license directly with the state. You can:

  1. Search Michigan's LARA AFC license lookup (search "Michigan adult foster care facility search" — the official tool returns license status, capacity, and inspection history).
  2. Ask the home for a copy of their current license certificate. A legitimate home will show it on request.
  3. Request the home's most recent inspection report. Any findings, citations, or corrective actions will be documented.

What an AFC license does NOT cover

AFC licensing covers personal care and supervision — not skilled medical care. AFC caregivers can assist with medications under proper delegation but cannot provide skilled nursing services like wound care, IVs, or post-acute rehabilitation. For those needs, families typically arrange visiting hospice, home health, or therapy services that come into the AFC home — a model Memory Lane uses regularly.

Memory Lane is a Michigan-licensed AFC home

Memory Lane operates three Michigan-licensed AFC Small Group Homes in Ypsilanti, serving Washtenaw County. Our license, inspection history, and care model are open to families on request. If you're researching AFC Adult Foster Care for memory care, the first step is touring the home and reviewing the license together with our team.

Request an information packet or call (734) 849-4220 to learn more.

TODO: Add a downloadable family checklist (PDF) for evaluating an AFC home. Add screenshots of where to find the LARA license lookup. Confirm citation of Public Act 218 of 1979 with legal review before publication.