A version of this column appeared in Michigan Advance
After years of restrictive policies that prevented most families from receiving any assistance with their child care costs, coupled with very low wages for child care workers, COVID-19 lifted the veil on the underlying reality that without child care, businesses can’t attract and keep talent, and Michiganders can’t get back to work to support their families.
It is quite starkly a matter of gender and racial justice. Across the country, the pandemic disproportionately forced women out of the workforce—including 136,000 women in Michigan between February and December of 2020, with the lack of child care being a major factor. Child care professionals, who are largely women, and disproportionately Black and brown women, were among the women whose livelihoods were threatened.
More is at stake than our current economy, as important as that is. A growing body of indisputable evidence from brain scientists, educators and economists has confirmed that much of the architecture of the brain is developed in children during the first three years of life, and children who receive a high-quality early education are more equipped for both school and later success in life. There is no dispute that learning begins at birth, and is most rapid during the first 1,000 days of life.
But with strong community, business, and bipartisan legislative support, and the infusion of approximately $1.4 billion in federal funds, state policymakers now have a historic opportunity to better support Michigan kids, parents and businesses. By investing in high-quality child care and top-notch early education for all young children regardless of race, place or income, our leaders can alleviate the challenges caused by the pandemic and eliminate long-standing barriers for generations to come.
In just the last few weeks, we have seen bold proposals to greatly increase investments in child care and preschool, expand the supply of high-quality care, and make it easier for small child care providers to launch their businesses and stay open:
- A proposal by the governor to invest $1.4 billion in child care by making many more families eligible for state assistance with their child care costs by raising the income cutoff to 200% of poverty or $53,000 for a family of four; an increase in payments to child care providers by 20%; the waiving of family copays; contracts to help increase the supply of scarce child care for infants and toddlers; premium pay for child care professionals; and grants to child care providers to stabilize and support their businesses.
- A bipartisan bill package spearheaded by Rep. Jack O’Malley that increases the capacity of child care businesses by: establishing contracts for infant/toddler care in areas where supply is low; supporting family child care providers through networks that can help them manage their businesses while caring for young children; and proposing targeted regulatory reforms.
- A proposal by the governor to ensure that all children who are eligible for the Great Start Readiness preschool program (GSRP) have the opportunity to enroll. Currently 4-year-old children from families with incomes up to 250% of poverty are eligible for the GSRP. Together the GSRP and the federally-funded Head Start program serve approximately two-thirds of eligible children, and this expansion will allow the remainder to enroll.
It took a worldwide pandemic to bring us to this point, but now we must grab the opportunity to reimagine child care and early education to better support kids, parents, and child care businesses and their staff. This historic moment demands equally historic cooperation. We were pleased to see that cooperation result in a School Aid budget that included parity in payments and expansions in the state-funded preschool program, but disappointed to see legislators leave Lansing without finishing the job on child care. There are 1.4 billion reasons for the Legislature and the governor to quickly adopt a budget bill that provides much-needed help to families and child care businesses alike, and continue to work together to ensure that these investments and improvements are sustained into the future.
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.
