Michigan
Michigan auditor general to look into child care program performance
The challenge of low wages for child care workers in Michigan
Child care workers in Michigan, including passionate educators like Carla Brown, face low wages and limited benefits despite their crucial role in child development.
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.
No. 1 UCLA baseball took the second game of their Big Ten Conference series 4-3 against Michigan State at Jeff Ishbia Field at McLane Stadium in East Lansing, Mi. on Saturday.
The Bruins remained undefeated in the Big Ten action by relying heavily on their pitching staff, just like they did in their series opener. In the second game against Michigan State, UCLA’s pitching staff limiting the Spartans success at bat to only eight hits over the nine innings.
All in the first
UCLA was aggressive in the top of the first and it resulted in them scoring all four of their runs off of four hits to give them a 4-0 lead. Payton Brennan and Cashel Duggar each delivered two-run singles for UCLA.
Spartans strike back
Michigan State got on the board in the bottom of the second with their only hit of the inning being a double that allowed their runner to cross home plate from second.
Hanging on to the lead
UCLA managed to keep the lead over the third and fourth innings with no runs being scored by either team. The Bruins had a hit in each inning and the Spartans had no hits in the third, but two in the fourth.
Walking to score
The Spartans scored their second run in the bottom of the fifth off of walk with the bases loaded. Michigan State was unable to put up more runs, despite the bases being loaded and UCLA was able to maintain the 4-2 until the bottom of the eighth.
One more in the eighth
UCLA gave up their final run in the bottom of the eighth with a grounded out giving the Spartans base runner to cross home plate. Despite Michigan State narrowing the score to 4-3, they were held without a hit in the bottom of the ninth and UCLA took their second win of the series.
The Bruins will aim for the series sweep on Sunday with an anticipated start time of 9:05 a.m. PT.
No. 1 UCLA baseball handled business over the last two innings against Michigan State to secure a 4-1 win in their series opener at Jeff Ishbia Field at McLane Stadium in East Lansing, Mi. on Friday.
The Bruins found themselves in a much more low-scoring outing than their 15-3 midweek affair against UC Santa Barbara. Against the Spartans, UCLA’s explosive lineup was held to just four hits over all nine innings, but the Bruins pitching staff fared better than Michigan State’s by only allowing two hits.
Scoreless start
Both UCLA and Michigan State had just one hit in the first three innings, as both teams attempted to find success at the plate. The result was the game being runless heading into the fourth.
Spartans strike first
Michigan State got their second hit of the game in the bottom of the fourth with a single, but it was enough to get their base runner across home plate for the first run of the game.
Offense continued to struggle
UCLA had their second hit of the game in the top of the sixth, but despite the rare hit, and multiple other runners getting on base, the Bruins nor Spartans could increase the score until the eighth inning.
Taking the lead late
In the top of the eighth, the Bruins’ batters awoke with a go-ahead two-run homer strike by junior first baseman Mulivai Levu and putting UCLA in the lead for the first time in the game.
Two more for good measure
The Bruins tacked on two more runs in the top of the ninth off of a double and a sacrifice fly to give them two more inusrance runs. The Spartans were held scoreless in the bottom of the ninth to give UCLA the win and keep their undefeated Big Ten Conference streak alive.
UCLA will play their second game against Michigan State on Saturday with an anticipated start time of 12:35 p.m. PT.
Michigan
Report: Big Ten claims it owns rights to Duke vs. Michigan basketball game set to air on Amazon
On Thursday, Amazon announced it had partnered with Duke to televise three of the Blue Devils’ games next season on Prime Video. The landmark deal is the first of its kind.
Specifically, Amazon is set to air Duke’s games against UConn in Las Vegas on Nov. 25, reigning champion Michigan at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 21, and Gonzaga in Detroit on Feb. 20. On Friday, Yahoo! Sports‘ Ross Dellenger reported the Big Ten is battling against Amazon for the broadcast rights of the Duke-Michigan game.
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“The Big Ten has notified the ACC and ESPN that it owns the rights of the announced neutral-site basketball game between Duke and Michigan next season from Madison Square Garden, scheduled for streaming on Amazon,” Dellenger wrote. “Duke collaborated with the ACC and television partner ESPN to strike the first-of-its-kind arrangement.
“… The Big Ten, backed by its primary broadcast rights holder, Fox, has communicated with both the ACC and ESPN about the matter. The league believes it owns the broadcast rights as part of a rights-holder agreement between the conferences.”
In a previous deal between the Big Ten and the ACC, the two conferences agreed to alternate broadcast rights of neutral-site games between their members played in “shared territory.” The ACC owned the broadcast rights for the Duke-Michigan game on Feb. 21 last season. The two powerhouse programs played in Washington, D.C.
Thus, the Big Ten believe it owns the broadcast rights to the Duke-Michigan game in the 2026-27 season. The game will undoubtedly draw a massive crowd. Michigan and Duke are each expected to be national title contenders next season.
Per Dellenger, “ESPN and the ACC are aligned in Duke’s licensing of the game to Amazon.” Nevertheless, Duke shouldn’t expect the Big Ten’s push for the game’s broadcast rights to end soon. Duke athletic director Nina King didn’t address conflicting broadcast rights in the school’s partnership announcement.
“In addition to our outstanding partnership with ESPN, we are excited to work with Prime Video on this groundbreaking initiative,” King said. “As Prime Video’s first college sports partner, this collaboration not only expands the global reach of Duke Men’s Basketball, but also creates meaningful opportunities for our student-athletes in a way that reflects innovation and excellence.”
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