News

"A lack of childcare access in Michigan has been found to dramatically inhibit labor participation, especially for women, single parents and young families. Researchers found that when families live further from a licensed childcare provider in Michigan, they are significantly less likely to participate in the workforce."
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"The event took time to recognize seven different, collaborative solutions to adding child care capacity in communities around West Michigan. Among them, Hom Flats at Meynard and its self-contained child care center.

'If you look at parent preferences in the child care industry, they want it close to home,' CEO of Early Learning Company Tyler Huntey said. 'When somebody is looking at a place to live, having access to high-quality early education makes the apartment complex more attractive. And, it’s attractive to us as a child care provider to be able to provide that service in our backyard.'”
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"In response to pressure from advocates across the state, Michigan lawmakers worked under moonlight on October 3 to pass two long-awaited budget bills for Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26), which were signed into law by the Governor on October 7. October 1, 2025 marked the first time in 16 years that Michigan entered a new fiscal year without a full state budget enacted, resulting in undue strain on our state’s early childhood system, and most importantly, our youngest kids and families. 

So, what was included (and importantly, not included) for young children in this year’s state budget?"
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"Above and Beyond Learning Childcare Center's director Nina Hodge is able to pay her lead GSRP teacher a minimum of $30 an hour because of the funding she gets through the state for the program. 

Hodge says she can’t afford to pay her non-GSRP employees, like Brown, a 'livable wage' because the state reimburses her between around $6 to $7 an hour per child, not nearly what she says she actually spends for care in her infant and toddler classrooms."

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"The business of child care is complicated. Early education professionals say both parents and policymakers often don’t fully recognize the extent of their conundrum.

For child care businesses, state-mandated teacher to child staffing ratios mean paying teacher salaries and benefits dominate the majority of their budgets, while capped capacity in classrooms mean providers are significantly limited in how much money they can bring in by enrolling more kids."
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"For many families, income plunges and expenses spike right before a child is born; economic hardship during this maternal-infant window impacts lifelong health, hope and opportunity. Rx Kids offers a bold solution to support families, providing immediate relief and a solid foundation at one of the most costly and critical stages of life — pregnancy and infancy. This critical support helps families afford essentials like baby supplies, food, housing and utilities."

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