Child care in Michigan

As student performance in Michigan has plummeted, one strategy where many elected officials, educators, business leaders and state residents agree is bolstering future student success through early childhood programs.

Michigan employers increasingly view child care as critical to attracting and keeping quality workers

Michigan’s business leaders are discovering a strong connection between affordable child care and happy, productive workers.

The annual Kids Count Data Book shows the state is moving in the wrong direction on too many key indicators predicting a successful future. Bright spots? Some.

Children need quality care while their parents work. Michigan needs their parents working. We need to do better for both.

With all the emphasis on “return on investment” in early childhood education, let’s not forget that play, and just play, is the real way children build a foundation for the schooling to come.

Michigan has one of the most restrictive policies in the nation on giving low-income families access to subsidized child care. Yet research shows investing in high-quality care can put more parents back to work and improves the odds for vulnerable children

In a year when state legislators are disinclined to spend, a stunning report shows that Michigan can invest now in proven early childhood programs, or spend a great deal more later.