Stable Child Care Funding Remains Essential to Michigan’s Families, Workforce, and Economy
LANSING, Mich. — The federal government has abruptly implemented new oversight requirements and protocols for states to access the appropriated child care funding, known as the Child Care and Development Fund. The Early Childhood Investment Corporation (ECIC) is closely monitoring the developing situation. The following statement can be attributed to ECIC’s Chief Executive Officer Alicia Guevara:
“Michigan’s child care scholarship program plays a critical role in keeping communities running. Each month, tens of thousands of children learn and grow in nurturing environments that allow parents to work, pursue education, or job training, while supporting the small businesses and professionals who provide that care.
“As we saw with the interruptions to federal Head Start funding in 2025, the possibility of a disruption creates very real uncertainty for parents, employers, and child care providers. Child care is essential infrastructure. When it’s stable, families can work, businesses can operate, and children can continue to thrive. When it’s not, the impacts are felt quickly across local economies and our communities.
“In November 2025 alone, 46,695 Michigan children relied on the child care scholarship program so their parents could remain employed or enrolled in school while fueling the economy with its workforce. For providers, timely and predictable payments are essential to keeping classrooms open, staff employed, and services available to families who depend on them.
“While accountability and transparency are vital, Michigan’s child care system already includes significant safeguards and oversight, and actions taken in response to challenges in other states should not undermine confidence in programs that are working as intended here.
“Michigan has a secure and reliable child care system, which is essential to the state’s workforce and economic stability. Protecting that stability means ensuring ongoing oversight efforts are targeted, based on evidence, and do not unintentionally harm children attending child care programs or disrupt families and providers who are doing everything right.”
Families, providers, and business owners are encouraged to share their perspectives with state and federal lawmakers about the importance of maintaining consistent, reliable child care funding. Policymakers need to hear directly from those who rely on child care every day to keep Michigan working.