Michigan

Michigan auditor general to look into child care program performance

Published

1 week ago

January 29, 2026

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Michigan auditor general to look into child care program performance

Child care subsidy programs have faced increased scrutiny following claims of widespread program fraud from the Trump administration.
A Republican state lawmaker called for a program evaluation that the auditor general recently decided to add to its docket in 2026.

Michigan’s auditor general plans to review the state’s child care subsidy program, and among the factors for the decision is a request for an audit from State Senate Republican Leader Aric Nesbitt.

Nesbitt, who is running for governor, called for an audit of the program after Trump administration claims of widespread child care subsidy fraud in Minnesota and across the nation.

Nesbitt’s request is one of several factors that led the auditor general to put the program on its 2026 docket, which includes around 30 other programs. Other factors that inform this kind of decision include whether there’s available staff to carry out the audit, the program’s audit history and general public interest in the program, said Kelly Miller, Office of the Auditor General spokesperson, in an email.

The specifics of what the audit will cover are not yet known, since auditors have to first identify areas of concern or improvement before figuring out what the scope of the evaluation will look like, Miller wrote.

The auditor general carries out annual financial audits on each major state subsidy program using federal dollars, but given its limited time and resource, the office must be selective in which programs receive performance audits.

Financial audits make sure a program is complying with federal requirements tied to federal dollars, performance audits put a magnifying glass to some specific program element, often related to policies and procedures. Past Michigan child care subsidy performance audits have identified problems including a lack of systems to track the accuracy of payments to child care providers and insufficient background vetting of licensed providers.

The last performance audit of Michigan’s child care subsidy system came out in November 2025, though it didn’t focus on evaluating how well the program manages fraud and improper payments. Instead, it focused on an issue that continues to come up consistently for providers and families utilizing the program: poor communication practices by the state’s early childhood agency, MiLEAP, which administers the program, that leave child care providers and parents stranded when payments are late or kids can’t get turned onto the subsidy.

MiLEAP did not respond to requests for comment but department spokesperson Aundreana Jones-Poole said in a statement earlier this month that “MiLEAP has a zero-tolerance policy for fraud or abuse of funds meant to benefit Michigan families.”

Sen. Nesbitt, R-Porter Township, said in a press release that he welcomed the audit, calling it “good news for legitimate, law-abiding child care providers and the many families who struggle to find affordable childcare throughout our state. It’s time to root out waste, fraud and abuse and hold our state agencies accountable for everyone who is fighting to make it in Michigan.”

Auditor general investigations are two of several state oversight measures intended to track a program’s integrity and curb potential program fraud: MiLEAP randomly audits licensed providers across Michigan to check time and attendance records and make sure billing is accurate and the Inspector General for the Michigan Department for Health and Human Services carries out fraud investigations each year.

The federal government’s Office of Child Care also audits every state’s subsidy program. States are grouped in cohorts that are evaluated in 3-year cycles. Michigan’s next federal audit is also coming up in March 2026, according to the Early Childhood Investment Corporation, a Michigan-based early childhood nonprofit. Federal audits look at how programs tackle fraud and address subsidy payment errors.

MiLEAP did not respond to questions about how the department will prepare for both a state and federal audit falling around the same time.

Beki San Martin is a fellow at the Detroit Free Press who covers child care, early childhood education and other issues that affect the lives of children ages 5 and under and their families in metro Detroit and across Michigan. Contact her at rsanmartin@freepress.com.

This fellowship is supported by the Bainum Family Foundation. The Free Press retains editorial control of this work.

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Michigan

Saginaw County ranks in the top 10 across Michigan for per-resident lottery spending

Published

8 hours ago

February 6, 2026

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Saginaw County ranks in the top 10 across Michigan for per-resident lottery spending

SAGINAW COUNTY, MI – Saginaw County saw nearly $112 million in Michigan Lottery game sales in 2025 and ranks among the top 10 counties in the state for per-resident sales.

Across all Michigan counties, $4.4 billion was spent on lottery games last year, which is equal to $4.3 million per 10,000 residents. The state had an estimated population of 10.1 million in 2024.

Saginaw County ranks ninth in the state for lottery game sales with $5,960,488 spent per 10,000 residents in 2025, topping neighboring Genesee and Bay counties. The county had a population of 187,714 in 2024.

Many of the counties that saw the most money spent on lottery games per resident are on the east side of the state.

County rankings are based on Michigan Lottery data and do not take into account whether sales were made to out-of-county visitors or residents. The rankings do not reflect sales totals.

Saginaw County’s lottery sales per 10,000 residents were about $45,000 lower than those of Wayne County, which saw the most overall lottery sales in the state in 2025 for a total of more than $1 billion, or $6,005,756 per 10,000 residents.

Ranking at No. 1 in the state was Montmorency County, with $9.1 million spent on lottery games per 10,000 residents in 2025.

Leelanau County ranks last, seeing about $1.5 million in lottery sales per 10,000 residents.

At the bottom of the list for overall lottery sales is Keweenaw County with $423,594 spent on games last year. An estimated 2,161 people resided in the county in 2024.

A quarter of all Michigan Lottery sales from the last fiscal year is given to the Michigan Schools Aid Fund, which supports public education across the state, while the majority of sales go toward prizes. Lottery sales account for more than 4% of the Michigan Schools Aid Fund.

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Michigan

No. 2 Michigan sets new program mark in blowout win over Penn State

Published

20 hours ago

February 5, 2026

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No. 2 Michigan sets new program mark in blowout win over Penn State

Ann Arbor — The first time Michigan and Penn State crossed paths this season, the Wolverines survived a last-second scare.

The rematch between teams at opposite ends of the Big Ten standings ended up being no match.

No. 2 Michigan dominated from start to finish and swept the regular-season series with a 110-69 smackdown of undermanned Penn State on Thursday at Crisler Center.

The victory didn’t just extend the Wolverines’ win streak to seven and keep them in a tie for first place in the conference with Illinois at 11-1. It set a new mark for the best 22-game record in program history at 21-1.

Michigan’s 2012-13 national runner-up team and the 2018-19 Sweet 16 squad both started 20-1 before suffering their second loss. Nimari Burnett scored a career-high 31 points to ensure this year’s group avoided a similar fate.

Last month, Michigan had to hold off a late push by Penn State to escape with a two-point road win. It never got anywhere close to that point in Round 2.

The Nittany Lions, who dressed only eight players, were down four rotation pieces in starters Ivan Juric and Eli Rice and reserves Tibor Mirtic and Sasa Ciani. The Wolverines offered little sympathy.

Michigan raced out to a double-digit lead less than five minutes into the contest, led by 32 at halftime and didn’t let up, as Burnett kept firing away to set several personal career-high marks.

Burnett, who tied his season high with 15 points in the first half alone, capped a 7-0 burst with a corner 3-pointer. He topped his previous career best of 21 points with his fifth 3-pointer to make it a 38-point game with 17:09 to go.

Less than two minutes later, Burnett set another career high with his sixth 3-pointer, topping his previous best of five. His seventh deep ball gave Michigan an overwhelming 76-34 advantage at the 14:40 mark.

The Wolverines took their largest lead, 93-47, when Oscar Goodman threw down a thunderous baseline jam and capped an 8-1 spurt with a driving layup with 7:40 remaining. They topped 100 points for the eighth time this season when Will Tschetter canned back-to-back 3-pointers with 2:45 left. From there, they coasted to their seventh win by at least 40 points.

Morez Johnson Jr. had 12 points and eight rebounds, Trey McKenney and L.J. Cason scored 12 apiece, and Aday Mara added 11 points, six rebounds and a career-high six blocked shots for Michigan. The Wolverines outrebounded Penn State by a 44-21 margin, scored 22 second-chance points off 11 offensive boards, shot 60.6% from the field and made 15 3-pointers.

Freddie Dilione V scored 19, Josh Reed 15, and star freshman Kayden Mingo, who missed the first meeting due to injury, finished with seven points for Penn State (10-13, 1-11). The Nittany Lions shot 37.1% from the field and finished 2-for-20 from 3-point range.

With Juric, Mirtic and Ciani – all forwards – sidelined, Penn State had to go small and started four guards. Michigan took advantage of the size disparity from the jump. An offensive rebound by Mara led to a 3-pointer by Burnett. Another second-chance opportunity ended with Johnson scoring an and-1 layup.

Mara grabbed Michigan’s third offensive rebound in the first five minutes for an easy putback. Penn State did record a single rebound in the opening six minutes. A 15-0 burst that gave the Wolverines a 15-2 lead with 12:41 left in the first half.

Michigan’s length also gave Penn State problems on the defensive end. The Nittany Lions fired up one deep ball after another and missed nine of their first 10 shots, including two airballed 3-pointers. That led to a seven-minute scoring drought and an even longer field goal drought that Dilione ended with a fast-break layup off a turnover at the 11:56 mark.

That offered a brief reprieve as Penn State hit another stretch with just one made shot in six minutes and Michigan extended the margin with a flurry of dunks. Elliot Cadeau had a dribble drive and dish to Yaxel Lendeborg for a dunk. Lendeborg threw a pass to a cutting Tschetter, who made an extra pass to Burnett for an open dunk. On two other possessions, Burnett blew past his defender on a baseline drive and got to the rim for a two-handed jam. Michigan’s lead swelled to 41-16 with 4:21 left in the half.

By the time the dust settled on Michigan’s most dominant half in quite some time with an offense that was humming and a defense that was stifling, the Wolverines entered the break with a commanding 56-24 cushion.

This is a developing story. Come back soon to detroitnews.com for more on this game.

jhawkins@detroitnews.com

@jamesbhawkins

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Michigan

Black History Month’s 100th birthday is here. Does Michigan observe?

Published

1 day ago

February 5, 2026

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Black History Month’s 100th birthday is here. Does Michigan observe?

This month marks the 100th anniversary of Black History Month and Michigan is celebrating the occasion.

The month recognizing Black Americans stems from the efforts of pioneering intellectual Carter G. Woodson, who initiated Negro History Week in February 1926, according to the Association for the Study of African American Life and History.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist recognized the month in a Feb. 2 proclamation, encouraging Michiganders to uplift Black American history during this time.

“African Americans have made significant cultural, historical, and economic contributions to the development of America and the American way of life,” the proclamation stated.

Here’s what to know Black History Month in Michigan.

Is Michigan observing Black History Month?

Yes, Michigan recognizes Black History Month, according to the proclamation by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist.

“The state of Michigan also recognizes the strength, endurance, and faith of African American ancestors in their struggle for freedom, and pays tribute to their continuous pursuit of overcoming injustices,” the proclamation stated.

The Michigan House on Feb. 4 also adopted a resolution recognizing Black History Month.

What did President Trump say about Black History Month?

President Donald Trump on Feb. 3 issued a proclamation in the first year of his second term to honor “countless black American heroes.” He wrote that “‘black history’ is not distinct from American history — rather, the history of black Americans is an indispensable chapter in our grand American story.”

When is Black History Month in 2026?

Black History Month is February 2026.

When did Black History Month get started?

The origins of Black History Month lie in Negro History Week, founded in 1926 by Carter G. Woodson, a prominent Black American intellectual, according to the Association for the Study of African American Life and History.

“Woodson chose February for reasons of tradition and reform. It is commonly said that Woodson selected February to encompass the birthdays of two great Americans who played a prominent role in shaping black history, namely Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, whose birthdays are the 12th and the 14th, respectively,” the association’s website says.

Contact Jenna Prestininzi: jprestininzi@freepress.com.

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