Building a Better Child Care System: What Michigan Can Do to Help More Parents and Children Access Quality Care

Abstract

In August 2016, with support from the Max and Marjorie Fisher Foundation, the Michigan Department of Education Office of Great Start and Citizens Research Council of Michigan released a report to improve and inform the federal application to renew Michigan's Childcare Subsidy Program. The Michigan program has been under-subscribed, resulting in unused funding being returned to the federal government — the only state in the U.S. to have done so in 2015. Given the substantial challenges families face in Michigan, the report outlined recommendations that will create a positive impact on both parents, as well as the childcare providers themselves. Creating change in childcare will requirement considerable changes, not just to better support parents, but also to bolster the early education workforce overall