For Immediate Release
June 8, 2022
Contact:
Alex Rossman
arossman@mlpp.org
517-775-9053
Senate passage of bipartisan child care bills another big step for Michigan kids, parents and providers
Bills support family child care centers, expand infant and toddler care
LANSING—The Michigan League for Public Policy and child care advocates around the state applauded the continued bipartisan momentum around child care improvements with the Michigan Senate’s nearly unanimous passage of House Bills 5041–5048 today. The package of legislation will improve child care access for kids and parents and better support child care providers.
“Child care continues to be a top priority for workers and businesses, urban and rural residents, Democrats and Republicans. We appreciate the Senate’s bipartisan action today to pass these bills, and are grateful for the work of Rep. Jack O’Malley and the other sponsors of the package for their work to improve our child care system and better support Michigan kids, parents and child care providers,” said Monique Stanton, President and CEO for the Michigan League for Public Policy. “These bills address the need to keep working to make child care more accessible and affordable while supporting our state’s vital child care providers, including addressing the specific challenges and needs of our home-based child care providers.”
The League previously submitted written testimony on the bills during the committee process, and the League still has some reservations on HB 5041 and the potential impact of expanding the adult-to-child ratio. The League has done extensive analysis on child care in Michigan, from compiling county data fact sheets to analyzing child care funding, and will keep pushing for broader child care financing reforms to better support our kids, parents and providers.
House Bill 5043, sponsored by Rep. Kelly Breen, would establish regional family child care networks—a key way to better support home-based child care providers. First Steps Kent has been working to address this need in West Michigan, establishing the Shared Services Pilot Project. First Steps Kent received a three-year grant to pilot the Shared Services model, and it’s an innovative approach to strengthen the child care industry by helping child care centers and family homes share costs and deliver services in a more streamlined and efficient way.
“The key to initiatives like the Kent Shared Services Pilot Project and Staffed Family Child Care Networks is connecting Family Child Care (FCC) small business owners to resources and to their peers,” said Kristen Sobolewski, Shared Services Project Director of First Steps Kent. “Child care networks work to build relationships and reduce isolation that providers experience. Support through a staffed network will help FCC owners streamline their business and improve child care quality.”
The passage of today’s legislation is another step forward in improving Michigan’s child care system and better supporting families and providers, including $1.4 billion in budget funding passed in 2021. This funding has helped establish the recent Caring for MI Future Plan, a program that supports child care entrepreneurship and aims to open 1,000 new child care programs by 2024. The League and First Steps Kent also support the MI Tri-Share Child Care Program, which shares the cost of child care equally between an eligible employee, their employer and the State of Michigan. The Tri-Share program continues to expand, now covering 59 Michigan counties.
The individual bill numbers, links and descriptions for the legislative package passed today are included below:
HB 5041: Adult-to-child ratio for in-home child care providers; modify.
HB 5042: Licensing requirements for child care center, group child care home, or family child care home; modify.
HB 5043: Regional family child care networks; create for child care providers. Creates new act.
HB 5044: Regional infant-toddler contracts; create for child care providers. Creates new act.
HB 5045: Information required in child care database; include special investigation reports.
HB 5046: Grace period for child care providers to implement new rules; provide for.
HB 5047: Requirement for child care provider to maintain an on-premise licensing notebook if they have access to internet; eliminate.
HB 5048: Licensure of child care centers located within multiple occupancy buildings; modify and rescind rule.
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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.
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.
