State officials still have enough cash to cover preschool programs for about 9,000 more kids—which can save their families about $10,000 on child care costs this year.
Elected officials and candidates for office are permitted to use money from their campaign finances to pay for caregiving costs including child care under an interpretive statement Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson issued Monday.
Advocates for a paid family and medical leave program in Michigan highlighted the economic and social benefits at a virtual press conference Wednesday and urged passage of legislation to make it a reality.
With the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) releasing two reports outlining the potential benefits of a state paid leave program, members of the MI Paid Leave for All Coalition are continuing to press lawmakers to move forward with bills establishing family and medical leave programs.
Moms know that child care is a life-shaping issue for their own families. Many are at risk of being forced onto public assistance if they can't find the affordable care that makes it possible for them to stay in the workforce. But too many moms don’t know which candidates support the solutions they need.
A new plan from Vice President Kamala Harris could provide a key financial lifeline for Michigan families who are struggling to make ends meet.
Harris has proposed capping families’ child care costs to 7% of their income and offering families of newborns up to $6,000 in the first year of the child's life. Trump, on the other hand, has focused on tariffs as a solution to the child care crisis, despite evidence showing they would only raise costs for families.
Legislation to permanently eliminate the 3% tax some public school teachers pay into a health care fund for retirement passed through the Michigan Senate along party lines Tuesday.
The groundbreaking program is already working to reduce infant poverty and mortality in Flint—and both Gov. Whitmer and VP Harris plan to build on its success for families in 2025.
The Michigan League for Public Policy is emphasizing the need for stronger investments into childcare.
