We’re pleased to feature this guest blog post by Madeline Elliott, Early Childhood Policy Associate for Michigan’s Children. The original version appeared on January 28, 2022.
We hear about workforce shortages economy-wide in the news every day, and the early childhood workforce, which includes child care, home visiting, and early intervention services, is no exception. Michigan’s Children hosted a Lunch and Learn panel discussion with early childhood experts, administrators, and parents recently to get to the bottom of this workforce shortage, which is now at a crisis point. Panelists shared that poverty wages, overwhelming workloads, and public misconceptions about their work are leading to a mass exodus of professionals from early childhood settings. With the state legislature sitting on over $7 billion in surplus funds, there has never been a more pressing time or a greater opportunity for investment in this workforce.
Low pay, coupled with harmful misconceptions that early childhood professionals are babysitters instead of teachers and providers, cause this workforce to feel undervalued and underappreciated. And with good reason! These professionals are educated and experienced in their fields, and directly shape the growth of young children during their first years when brain development is more rapid than at any other time in their lives. They teach kids foundational skills in education, social and emotional learning, relationship-building, and more.
One of the panelists at the Lunch and Learn program, titled “Michigan’s Early Childhood Workforce Crisis: The Way Forward,” expressed concern over the dire position that their child care programs are in with recruiting and retaining staff. Moreover, staff who do remain are becoming burned out from their expanded roles. Dr. Ericka Taylor, Executive Director of Early Childhood for the Saginaw Intermediate School District (ISD), where 33 of 180 educational staff positions are open, described staff shortages are at an all-time high. “Within Saginaw ISD, we may have an interview (with an applicant) but before they report for their first day of work, they get another job offer elsewhere with higher wages. Sometimes it’s totally out of the child care realm. They’re just trying to find jobs to help them take care and sustain their own families. We can’t get upset about it. But we have to change that.”
Dr. Taylor is working to change that. Besides her day job, she is co-chair of the Think Babies Michigan Cross-Sector Workforce Strategies Workgroup.
Child care programs are struggling to make ends meet themselves, and don’t have the ability to raise child care wages on their own. As a result, the average wage is just $12 an hour. Many argue it’s an economic formula that doesn’t work: Child care providers say they can’t charge parents more than they already pay. Similarly, many home visiting and early intervention programs are strapped for funding resulting in workforces that are not fairly compensated. $1,000 bonus payments are on their way to child care teachers whose employers applied for state grant funding, but considering how easily big businesses can outcompete a bonus like that, panelists echoed the need for a larger, more sustained investment in early childhood workforce wages.
During the Lunch and Learn program, panelists insisted that targeted recruitment strategies and professional development must accompany increases in pay for this essential workforce. Career fairs for high schoolers, college and adult education students are the perfect opportunity to introduce child care, home visiting, and early intervention services as viable career paths with opportunities for advancement. Customized workshops are another useful recruiting tool: Youth Opportunities Unlimited in Kalamazoo developed a training to show young people what it’s like to choose a career in an early childhood field. Edison Neighborhood Early Childhood Collaborative is recruiting community members to become early childhood professionals, supporting them in obtaining their Child Development Associate (CDA) credential, and investing in professional development opportunities for educators to build on their skills. This type of supportive environment requires community engagement and targeted investments.
Matt Gillard, Michigan’s Children’s president and CEO, said the workforce challenges facing early childhood have been a focus of advocates for years but it’s time to get serious about addressing them. “We’re not going to create an early child system we want to see in our state unless we address challenges the workforce faces,” he told the online gathering. “Critical this year is that most advocates hoped and anticipated that Build Back Better legislation would have succeeded by now with new resources to address issues like these,” he added. “Now, the focus has shifted to winning support from unallocated state funds already here,” he said.
Early childhood professionals deserve better, in compensation, acknowledgment of their incredible work, professional development opportunities, and so much more. Michigan’s Children will continue to urge the state legislature to do the right thing by investing in this workforce, and we invite you to lend your voice to this critical issue!
- Learn who your lawmakers are and give them a quick call or email here!
- A recording of Michigan’s Early Childhood Workforce Crisis: The Way Forward.
- A copy of the PPT can be found here.
- “Confronting Michigan’s Early Childhood Workforce Crisis,” a report created in partnership with the Michigan League for Public Policy and Think Babies Michigan.
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.
