Great News for Michigan Families as State Expands Child Care Assistance Program

child care Child Development and Care Program Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer Michigan child care expansion

By Joel Brussels , Parent Herald Aug 16, 09:50 am

Photo: (Photo : Matthew Hatcher/Getty Images)

There is great news for families living in Michigan as the state's child care assistance program is expanded and is expected to lower costs for thousands of them soon.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced on Tuesday, August 12, a bipartisan expansion of access to the Child Development and Care Program, allowing 150,000 more kids and their families to be eligible.

The expansion is aimed at helping working Michigan families find and afford child care in the state. For some families, easing that financial burden would allow them to continue working.

Child care program eases burden on Michigan families

Several parents in the Holland area spoke to The Sentinel in an interview earlier this year about how they could not afford to work due to rising childcare costs. One mother found that caring for her two kids would cost $1,720 each month.

The United Way's 2021 ALICE Report stated that the average monthly childcare cost for a family with a preschooler and an infant was $1,122. According to the Michigan League for Public Policy, the cost of full-time childcare for one kid in the state increased from $563 in 2016 to $632 in 2020.

Whitmer said that childcare is often the biggest expense in a family's budget, and the expansion will allow more families to choose a childcare provider that is right for their child and their budget. She noted that she is proud of their progress in supporting young children and families, and they are not done working to make Michigan a great state to raise a family.

Families must meet the criteria to avail of Michigan's child care subsidy

For families to qualify for the state's Child Development and Care Program, also called the child care subsidy, they must meet several criteria. They must have a kid under 13, need child care because they are going to school or working, and have a qualifying income.

The qualifying incomes for a family of two are up to $36,620. It goes up to $46,060 for a family of three and up to $55,500 for a family of four. The state partnered with Early Childhood Investment Corporation (ECIC) and the Michigan Department of Education for a new tool to help determine eligibility. The tool can be accessed at greatstarttoquality.org/calculator.

Dawne Bell, the CEO of ECIC, said they have heard that finding an affordable, quality child care program in the state has become stressful for thousands of families across Michigan. He added that to help support Michigan families with young children, the company is proud to have helped create a simple tool that lets families know quickly if they can lower child care costs.

This expansion is part of a $1.4 billion investment by the state of Michigan to expand access to quality and affordable child care. That includes providing $700 million in grants to child care businesses, giving $1,000 bonuses for up to 38,000 childcare professionals in the state, and a $100 million strategy to open 1,000 new child care programs in Michigan by 2024 called Caring for Mi Future.