Michigan
Investing more in childcare would make Michigan a stronger state • Michigan Advance
More than seven months after the expiration of $24 billion in federal funds that buoyed our country’s childcare sector during the pandemic, newly analyzed census data has underscored the critical need for stronger state-level investments in childcare to support struggling families and providers.
While at least 11 states and the District of Columbia have stepped in to provide significant new state funding for childcare in the aftermath of last fall’s funding cliff, Michigan is not counted among them. Families have fared far worse in states like Michigan that have not stepped in to provide this critical support, according to a new analysis by the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) of Census Household Pulse Survey data.
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NWLC’s analysis of the survey data found that the share of responding households with children under the age of 12 that reported a lack of childcare over the past four weeks jumped from 17.8% to 23.1% from fall 2023 to spring 2024 in the states without significant, additional investments in childcare.
Here in Michigan, the share of responding households with children under 12 that reported childcare arrangement issues over the past four weeks climbed from 19.6% to 22.3% — a 14% increase — in that same time frame. By comparison, there was a smaller, not statistically significant increase in a lack of childcare in the states with stronger investments.
Additionally, among the Michigan households reporting childcare issues in the spring survey, 36% have cut work hours, 34% have taken unpaid leave, 31% have had to supervise their children while working and 26% have left a job as a result of childcare disruptions. Meanwhile, the NWLC’s analysis shows that the share of women respondents who wanted to work, but couldn’t because they were caring for a young child went down in the states providing significant new childcare funding, dropping from 45.3% to 31.9%.
While another childcare funding cliff is looming, with more federal funding set to expire in September 2024, and affordable, high-quality childcare is still out of reach for far too many Michiganders, there are some exciting opportunities in the state budget proposals for Fiscal Year 2025 that would go a long way in helping to strengthen Michigan’s childcare sector.
These include increased childcare subsidy reimbursement rates for providers, provider start-up/stabilization grants and a pilot that would allow childcare workers to be automatically eligible for childcare subsidies. Budget conversations are ongoing, but these are all promising proposed investments that the Michigan League for Public Policy and our partners support.
We can also ensure more families are able to access affordable, high-quality childcare by waiving family contributions for childcare subsidies and providing presumptive eligibility for families applying for childcare subsidies while their application is pending. Investing in efforts to improve childcare workforce recruitment and retention would also help to stabilize Michigan’s childcare system, while addressing the low wages that childcare workers receive.
These workers are integral to nurturing, protecting and caring for Michigan’s babies and kids and yet they are among the lowest paid workers in the state, earning a median wage of less than $14 an hour (about $28,870 annually).
This matters for all of us. By one estimate, Michigan is losing out on an estimated $2.88 billion in annual economic activity, including $576 million in direct revenue impact, as a result of inaccessible, unaffordable childcare. Making childcare more affordable for families and ensuring providers have stable incomes will help parents remain in the workforce, benefiting our state’s economy, while also helping to bring down Michigan’s child poverty rate and provide our earliest learners with access to high-quality care.
In the face of federal inaction, investing additional state dollars in childcare is a smart, commonsense choice for Michigan. It would result in better outcomes for families and workers, brighter futures for our state’s kids and a stronger state for everyone.
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Kyle Whittingham’s staff at Michigan is nearly complete. Position coaches have been hired and now the Wolverines are working on their analysts and assistants to help the position coaches. And Michigan fans heard some positive news on Sunday.
Not only did the Wolverines hire a new safeties coach, with a ton of history as a defensive coordinator, but Michigan will retain long-time coach Fred Jackson, according to MGoBlue where he is listed as an analyst.
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Jackson was Michigan’s running backs coach from 1992-2014 before he left to coach high school football. But in 2022, he was welcomed back to Ann Arbor under Jim Harbaugh and helped coach the position. He assisted Tony Alford, who was also retained to coach running backs, for the past two seasons at Michigan.
With the tutelage from both Jackson and Alford, Michigan’s run game was fantastic this season. Despite injuries to both Justice Haynes and Jordan Marshall, Michigan had one of the top rushing attacks in the Big Ten.
The Wolverines averaged over 210 yards per game on the ground. Haynes had six games of over 100 yards on the ground, Marshall had four, and former walk-on Bryson Kuzdzal rushed for 100 yards once this season when both Haynes and Marshall missed.
More on Jackson and his history in Ann Arbor
He has coached five All-Big Ten running backs at Michigan, led by three-time all-conference first team honoree Tyrone Wheatley (1992-94) and two-time performer Mike Hart (2004, 2006). Anthony Thomas (2000) and Chris Perry (2003) were All-Big Ten first team selections and Tshimanga Biakabutuka earned second-team honors in 1995. Thomas and Hart received distinction as Big Ten Freshman of the Year award winners.
Jackson’s running backs have led the league in rushing four times during his tenure and surpassed the 1,000-yard barrier 12 times, including Fitzgerald Toussaint in 2011. Perry (2003) and Hart (2004) became the first teammates to lead the league in rushing in back-to-back seasons since 1982-83, pacing the Big Ten in both overall and conference play.
He also coached two seasons in Ann Arbor as the Wolverines’ offensive coordinator.
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Michigan State football is identifying targets across the board to being in for visits as the transfer portal window moves along. The latest visit to go public comes from a wide receiver at the FCS level.
Evan James, a Furman transfer, will be taking a visit to East Lansing starting on Jan. 5. A 5-foot-11, 170 pound receiver from Apopka, Florida, James had a breakout season for the Paladins. In 2025 he caught 65 passes for 796 yards and seven touchdowns. He also had seven carries for 72 yards and a touchdown, doing all of this as a true freshman, earning FCS Freshman All-American honors.
After doing this all as a freshman, he will bring three years of eligibility with him to the next school of his choosing. Aside from Michigan State, it is rumored that Boston College and Cincinnati will also be in contention.
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Even before high winds have kicked in from a strong incoming storm system, more than 50,000 homes and businesses were without power across Michigan.
The bulk of these outages are in Mid-Michigan. Clare County had the largest outage tally, with more than 16,000. Mecosta County had more than 7, 500 without power, and Isabella County had more than 6,000 out.
A couple counties in the very western Upper Peninsula were also reporting outages.
These outage numbers are expected to increase by early Monday, as high winds come in as part of this storm system. Sustained winds of 25 to 35 mph are expected, but wind gusts could top 60 mph in some areas.
The issue with the Mid-Michigan outages is rooted in Friday’s ice accumulation. Utility officials said there has been about a half-inch of ice accumulation on trees and power lines in that area through the weekend. Temperatures this weekend did not get warm enough to melt the ice, as they did in other areas. Heavy rain on Sunday froze again quickly, causing a heavier ice load and more outages.
Consumers Energy has said they have crews mobilized to work on outages as they arise with this storm.
To see the latest update on this storm coverage, follow our headlines on the MLive Weather page.
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