For Immediate Release
March 12, 2021
Contact:
Alex Rossman
arossman@mlpp.org
517-775-9053
Timely local data will help inform Legislature’s upcoming budget decisions on child care funding
LANSING—As the COVID-19 crisis persists, child care remains a concern for Michigan’s economy and child care providers as well as the working families they rely on. Michigan must tackle the issues of access, affordability and provider support if the state is to successfully recover.
A report from the Michigan League for Public Policy released today, Child Care Financing Reform: A Critical Next Step for Michigan Families and the Economy, shows that the current financing system isn’t enough to support child care providers, parents or children, and unlike public school, is not funded by the state apart from inadequate subsidies for families with low wages. For a family at the state median income level ($57,054), the cost of child care in a center for one infant accounts for 19% of their income ($10,861), often exceeding the expenses of mortgages, rental payments and college costs.
“Child care is essential for parents to be able to work, but too many families around the state don’t have the financial resources necessary to afford it,” Gilda Z. Jacobs, President and CEO of the Michigan League for Public Policy said. “And at the same time, child care providers also have been struggling to make a living and support themselves—long before COVID-19 increased the strain on the industry. Policymakers need to look at ways to invest more in both the supply and demand sides of child care, better supporting families and providers.”
In addition to the report, the League’s Kids Count in Michigan project released fact sheets on child care for the state and each of Michigan’s 83 counties. The fact sheets for each county include information on whether the county is a child care desert or has low capacity, and the number of young children living in poverty in the county.
“Even families that have the financial means to access high-quality child care don’t always have options available, and care for infants and toddlers is especially scarce,” Jacobs said. “Nearly half of all Michiganders live in child care deserts, and it’s a problem that’s prevalent in urban and rural areas alike. Communities made vulnerable by lower incomes and disinvestment—often due to racial segregation or geographic isolation—tend to have lower supply.”
In addition to the lack of affordability and accessibility of care for families, many child care workers are facing the same financial challenges as families seeking care. Child care providers often struggle to make ends meet, as they are some of the lowest paid professionals in the state.
The report and data show that the lack of equity in the child care system is the root of a growing problem. Child care workers are disproportionately women, many of color, and the report shows that Black and Latinx workers are paid less than their white peers in an already low-paying field. Reforming the child care system starts with addressing those inequities.
According to the report, Michigan had the second-lowest income eligibility threshold for child care in the country leading into the COVID-19 pandemic. It was raised to 150% of the poverty level in January 2021, but the state still falls far behind the national median of 188%. In her 2022 budget proposal, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has proposed temporarily raising the child care subsidy eligibility level to 200% of poverty, and has also called for an increase in rates paid by the state to child care providers.
In the past, Michigan dedicated so few resources to child care that millions of dollars of unspent funds were returned to the federal government to be redistributed to other states. According to the report, Michigan is also at the bottom of the list of states for Federal Temporary Assistance to Need Families (TANF) funds for child care. In 2021, $12 million in TANF dollars was dedicated to child care, the first investment since 2011.
Both the report and the fact sheets were created as part of the Think Babies Michigan Collaborative, which launched earlier this year and is funded by the Pritzker Early Childhood Fund.
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The Michigan League for Public Policy, www.mlpp.org, is a nonprofit policy institute focused on opportunity for all. Its mission is to advance economic security, racial equity, health and well-being for all people in Michigan through policy change. It is the only state-level organization that addresses poverty in a comprehensive way.
The Kids Count in Michigan project, https://mlpp.org/kids-count/, is part of a broad national effort to improve conditions for children and their families. Funding for the project is provided by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, The Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation, The Skillman Foundation, Steelcase Foundation, Michigan Education Association, American Federation of Teachers Michigan, Ruth Mott Foundation, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation, United Way for Southeastern Michigan, DTE Energy Foundation, Ford Motor Company Fund and the Battle Creek Community Foundation. More state and local data are available at the Kids Count Data Center, www.datacenter.kidscount.org.
Think Babies Michigan is a prenatal-to-three policy collaborative of over 1,300 parents, advocates and organizations across the state working to make Michigan a top state to have a baby and raise a child.
Jay Cutler joined the League in March 2026 as the Kids Count Senior Data Analyst, where he collects, analyzes, and prepares data for Kids Count in Michigan.
Danielle Taylor-Basemore joined the League as the Development Data and Stewardship Coordinator in June 2025. She brings with her five years of nonprofit experience with a special focus on community engagement, data visualization and strategic programming. Prior to joining the League, Danielle served as the Business District, Safety, and Digital Manager at Jefferson East, Inc.
Scott Preston is a Senior Policy Analyst with the Michigan League for Public Policy, where he leads the organization’s immigration and criminal justice reform portfolios. In the three years prior to joining the League, Scott facilitated the Southeast Michigan Refugee Collaborative and managed a small business economic development program at Global Detroit. His work included launching Michigan’s first Refugee Film Festival and building on a trusted connector model that linked marginalized communities with crucial resources. Scott’s work at the League is informed by his background in journalism and research. He spent four years covering the Syrian refugee crisis in the Middle East for publications such as The Economist, and later worked with unaccompanied refugee minors through Samaritas. Scott holds a master’s degree in international migration and public policy from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Kate Powers joined the League as the Chief Development Officer in February 2025. Prior to joining the League, Kate held leadership positions at many Michigan nonprofit organizations, most recently serving as the COO and Chief Development Officer of Ele’s Place. Kate has spent the bulk of her career in fundraising, with a short stint in the state Legislature as a legislative aide to members in both chambers. Kate is a graduate of Michigan State University’s James Madison College with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Relations and has a certificate in fundraising management from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University. Additionally, Kate served on the East Lansing Public Schools Board of Education and is a past President of the Junior League of Lansing. In her free time, she enjoys traveling with her husband and her son and saving outfit of the day and home decor ideas on Pinterest. 
Nicholas Hess joined the League as the Fiscal Policy Analyst in September of 2024. In this role, Nicholas focuses on tax policy, government revenue, and their impact on working families and racial equity, including the effects of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC). Nicholas values the role that judicious fiscal policy can play in the improvement of people’s lives and the economy, alleviating inequities along the way.
Audrey Matusz joined the League as the Visual Communications Specialist in September 2024. She supports the team with implementing social media strategies and brainstorming creative ways to talk about public policy. She brings with her nearly a decade of experience in producing digital products for evidence-based social justice initiatives. 
Jacob Kaplan 
Donald Stuckey 
Alexandra Stamm 
Amari Fuller
Mikell Frey is a communications professional with a passion for using the art of storytelling to positively impact lives. She strongly believes that positive social change can be inspired by the sharing of data-driven information coupled with the unique perspectives of people from all walks of life across Michigan, especially those who have faced extraordinary barriers. 
Yona Isaacs (she/hers) is an Early Childhood Data Analyst for the Kids Count project. After earning her Bachelor of Science in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience at the University of Michigan, she began her career as a research coordinator in pediatric psychiatry using data to understand the impacts of brain activity and genetics on children’s behavior and mental health symptoms. This work prompted an interest in exploring social determinants of health and the role of policy in promoting equitable opportunities for all children, families, and communities. She returned to the University of Michigan to complete her Masters in Social Work focused on Social Policy and Evaluation, during which she interned with the ACLU of Michigan’s policy and legislative team and assisted local nonprofit organizations in creating data and evaluation metrics. She currently serves as a coordinator for the Michigan Center for Youth Justice on a project aiming to increase placement options and enhance cultural competency within the juvenile justice system for LGBTQIA+ youth. Yona is eager to put her data skills to work at the League in support of data-driven policies that advocate for equitable access to healthcare, education, economic security, and opportunity for 0-5 year old children. In her free time, she enjoys tackling DIY house projects and trying new outdoor activities with her dog.
Rachel Richards rejoined the League in December 2020 as the Fiscal Policy Director working on state budget and tax policies. Prior to returning to the League, she served as the Director of Legislative Affairs for the Michigan Department of Treasury, the tax policy analyst and Legislative Director for the Michigan League for Public Policy, and a policy analyst and the Appropriations Coordinator for the Democratic Caucus of the Michigan House of Representatives. She brings with her over a decade of experience in policies focused on economic opportunity, including workforce issues, tax, and state budget.
Simon Marshall-Shah joined the Michigan League for Public Policy as a State Policy Fellow in August 2019. His work focuses on state policy as it relates to the budget, immigration, health care and other League policy priorities. Before joining the League, he worked in Washington, D.C. at the Association for Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP), providing federal policy and advocacy support to nonprofit, Medicaid health plans (Safety Net Health Plans) related to the ACA Marketplaces as well as Quality & Operations.
Renell Weathers, Michigan League for Public Policy (MLPP) Community Engagement Consultant. As community engagement consultant, Renell works with organizations throughout the state in connecting the impact of budget and tax policies to their communities. She is motivated by the belief that all children and adults deserve the opportunity to achieve their dreams regardless of race, ethnicity, religion or economic class.
Emily Jorgensen joined the Michigan League for Public Policy in July 2019. She deeply cares about the well-being of individuals and families and has a great love for Michigan. She is grateful that her position at the League enables her to combine these passions and work to help promote policies that will lead to better opportunities and security for all Michiganders.
Megan Farnsworth joined the League’s staff in December 2022 as Executive Assistant. Megan is driven by work that is personally fulfilling, and feels honored to help support the work of an organization that pushes for more robust programming and opportunities for the residents of our state. She’s excited and motivated to gain overarching knowledge of the policies and agendas that the League supports.
