This column originally appeared in Michigan Advance on April 12, 2019.
As the parents of twin infants, my wife and I pay more than $500 a week to send them to a child care center. That’s about 10 times more than a monthly car payment and double a home mortgage payment. In fact, on average, the annual cost of child care in Michigan is rivaling the cost of college.
Prices are high all over, and if you do find a good deal, there’s usually a (bad) reason why. And as I’ve said many times in trying to quiet my own financial anxiety, if there’s a place you shouldn’t be skimping, it’s the care of your kids.
And it’s not just their basic safety. Child care means so much more these days, which I am painfully and neurotically aware of as someone who has read about 20 drafts of the upcoming 2019 Kids Count in Michigan Data Book in the last two months (it’s dropping April 23, by the way). Child care and preschool are integral to children’s development, their foundation for learning and their preparation for school.
This sticker shock, parental debate and constant cost-benefit analysis are similar for all parents, of all incomes, in all parts of the state.
That’s why the Michigan League for Public Policy is releasing two new videos to share some parents’ perspectives about the importance of child care to local families — and of state efforts to improve access and affordability.
Hannah G. is the mother of five kids and her three youngest daughters are in child care.
“Trying to find child care was extremely challenging. Because I was a young parent, I was still trying to go to school, I was working as well, and … unfortunately chose some child care places that were not of greatest quality because they were in my budget,” she said. “Right now, for me to be able to afford that quality, I make a lot of sacrifices.”
Courtney M. has three children, including two less than two years apart.
“We knew when it came time for child care that it was going to be difficult,” she said. “…We were looking at paying for child care for two infants, and those costs were just astronomical and honestly it just wasn’t even affordable for me to work full-time and pay for child care. As somebody who has focused on her career for a while, that was a difficult decision for me to decide to go down to part-time, because I knew that it meant lost years in the workplace.”
She added, “Everybody needs access to high-quality, affordable child care. We shouldn’t have to make decisions on whether or not we can afford quality or whether or not we can afford [child care] at all.”
Hannah and Courtney are just two voices, but they share experiences with millions of other Michigan parents. And they’re right — the state can and should do more.
That’s why child care access and affordability continues to be a high-profile issue for the League.
In our Owner’s Manual for Michigan, we outlined three ways to move the needle on child care access: increase the income eligibility cutoff for child care support; increase child care subsidies to ensure that parents can afford 75 percent of the child care in their communities; and establish grants and contracts with providers to increase high-quality care for shortage areas.
Helping parents find affordable child care was also one of our 2020 state budget priorities, and we were pleased to see Gov. Gretchen Whitmer include funding to improve child care access and early education in her state budget proposal.
Currently, Michigan has one of the lowest income eligibility thresholds in the country for child care subsidies. Families cannot earn enough to offset child care costs but earn too much to be eligible for assistance.
Child care and preschool have an impact on two generations. Affordable child care makes it easier for parents to work to support their families and drive our local economies, and provides young children with the experiences they need to succeed in school and ultimately in the workforce.
These women didn’t just share their stories. They let us into their homes and into their lives. We are grateful for their voices and all they are doing for their families. These are the people and perspectives that we hope lawmakers will keep in mind as they and continue their budget work in the coming months.
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.
