Demetrius Starling is a program officer at The Kresge Foundation. Demetrius supports the human services program and joined the foundation in 2026.
Demetrius is the previous senior deputy director for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services’ (MDHHS) Children’s Services Administration (CSA), where he led Michigan’s statewide child welfare system, including children’s protective services, foster care, adoption, licensing, guardianship, family preservation, prevention and juvenile justice programs.
With nearly 30 years of experience of both public and private service, Demetrius began his career as a children’s protective services specialist in Wayne County—Michigan’s largest and most diverse urban county—and has since held numerous leadership roles across MDHHS, including continuous quality improvement manager, district manager and county director for the various county offices.
Prior to his 2021 appointment as CSA executive director, Demetrius served as the in‑home services bureau director, overseeing prevention, preservation and protection programs. In this work, he emerged as a leading champion of the Two‑Generation (2Gen) approach, advancing policies and strategies that intentionally strengthen both children and the adults in their lives. His leadership centers whole‑family wellbeing, economic mobility and equity, ensuring that child welfare practices support access to housing, mental health services, workforce pathways and family economic stability, not just safety interventions.
