The Early Childhood Investment Corporation (ECIC) and the Think Babies Michigan coalition are gathering information from candidates seeking public office in Michigan about their perspectives on early childhood policy. Our goal is education, not endorsement. ECIC does not endorse, oppose, or rate candidates for public office.
We are collecting responses so that families, early childhood service providers, and community members across Michigan can better understand how candidates think about the needs of children from birth through age five and the families and professionals who care for them. Responses from candidates are published as received, without editing or commentary. Candidates have agreed that their responses may be reproduced and attributed to them in ECIC and Think Babies Michigan communications, including newsletters, social media, websites, and materials shared with coalition partners.
The following responses are from Meegan Zickus, Democratic candidate for Michigan House District 89.
What do you see as the most pressing early childhood challenge facing the district or communities you seek to represent?
The most pressing early childhood challenge is that too many families cannot afford or access dependable, high-quality child care. Rising housing, food, transportation, and health care costs force parents into impossible choices, while inadequate reimbursement rates and wages make it difficult for providers to recruit staff, remain open, and serve infants and toddlers.
As a 10-year school board member, I helped pass the millage that funded Allendale’s first Early Childhood Education building. That experience reinforced my belief that early investment strengthens children, families, schools, and communities. As a former health care worker and current bioethicist familiar with structural competency, I will prioritize sustainable child care funding, fair compensation for early educators, maternal and infant health services, developmental screening, early intervention, and streamlined access to nutrition and family supports.
Michigan families in many parts of the state live in areas with far fewer licensed child care slots than there are children who need them, and the shortage is most severe for infants and toddlers. What is your view of this issue, and what approaches would you consider if elected?
The shortage of licensed child care – especially for infants and toddlers – is both a family crisis and an economic-development issue. Parents cannot reliably work when care is unavailable, while providers cannot expand when reimbursement rates and tuition fail to cover the true cost of qualified staff, safe facilities, and low infant-to-caregiver ratios. Rural families, low-income families, and families needing nontraditional hours face even greater barriers.
If elected, I would support reimbursement rates based on the actual cost of quality care, better wages and benefits for early educators, and grants for providers to open, expand, or renovate facilities. I would also pursue partnerships with schools, employers, municipalities, and home-based providers; streamline licensing without weakening safety standards; and improve access to care during evenings and weekends. As a 10-year school board member, mother of three, and now a grandmother, I have seen how sustained public investment can expand opportunity for children and families.
What is your perspective on the cost of child care for Michigan families, and on the tools available to state or federal policymakers to address affordability?
The shortage of licensed child care – especially for infants and toddlers – is both a family crisis and an economic-development issue. Parents cannot reliably work when care is unavailable, while providers cannot expand when reimbursement rates and tuition fail to cover the true cost of qualified staff, safe facilities, and low infant-to-caregiver ratios. Rural families, low-income families, and families needing nontraditional hours face even greater barriers.
If elected, I would support reimbursement rates based on the actual cost of quality care, better wages and benefits for early educators, and grants for providers to open, expand, or renovate facilities. I would also pursue partnerships with schools, employers, municipalities,
Early childhood educators are among the lowest paid workers in Michigan, and turnover in the field is high. How do you think about compensation, benefits, and working conditions in this profession?
Early childhood educators perform essential, highly skilled work, yet their compensation and benefits often do not reflect their responsibilities or the value they provide. Low wages, limited benefits, and demanding working conditions drive turnover, disrupt children’s relationships with trusted caregivers, and make it harder for providers to maintain quality. Educators should not have to leave the profession simply to support their own families.
I support reimbursement rates based on the true cost of care, with accountability to ensure public investments improve wages and benefits. Michigan should also expand access to health coverage, paid leave, retirement benefits, professional development, and affordable pathways to credentials. Facilities alone are not enough: we must invest in the professionals who make early learning possible.
Michigan has dedicated funding for many critical services, but nothing specifically focused on the needs of families with young children. Advocates have proposed a dedicated, sustainable state revenue stream for early childhood, separate from the annual general fund appropriations process. What is your perspective on that idea?
I support creating a dedicated, sustainable state revenue stream for early childhood services so families and providers are not subject to uncertainty in each annual budget cycle. As a mother whose children were each born five years apart, I saw firsthand how families’ needs and available supports changed over time. Now, as children whose earliest years were disrupted by COVID-19 reach elementary school, we must respond to their academic, developmental, behavioral, and social-emotional needs.
During my 10 years of service on the school board, I supported the successful millage that made Allendale’s first Early Childhood Education building possible. This reinforced my belief that sustained investment in young children creates lasting benefits for families, schools, and communities. Dedicated funding should support affordable child care, fair educator compensation, developmental screening, early intervention, maternal and infant health, and family services, with transparent oversight and measurable outcomes.
If you were setting priorities within a constrained early childhood budget, what would you prioritize first, and why?
Within a constrained budget, I would prioritize prenatal care, maternal and infant health, affordable infant and toddler care, fair compensation for early educators, developmental screening, and early intervention. Healthy, supported mothers are better positioned to raise healthy, happy babies. We should connect families with resources before they reach a crisis, especially now that many parents no longer have extended family living nearby. Preventive support improves outcomes while reducing future costs in education, health care, and social services.
My service as a Sisters in Support volunteer, a D.A. Blodgett adoptive parent support volunteer, and a MomsBloom volunteer showed me that early, trusted support creates a lasting impact. I would direct limited resources toward evidence-based programs that reach families early, reduce administrative barriers, and prioritize communities facing the greatest challenges. Early help strengthens parents, protects children, and builds healthier communities.
Michigan has made significant strides to promote maternal and infant health, though federal policy changes put many of these programs at risk. How would you work to preserve and expand access to important programs that promote maternal and infant health including Medicaid?
I will work to preserve and expand Medicaid eligibility, maternal health coverage, prenatal and postpartum care, home visiting, nutrition assistance, mental health services, and early intervention. If federal changes threaten these programs, Michigan should protect access through state funding, simplified enrollment and renewal, strong outreach, and partnerships with trusted community organizations. Families should be connected to support during pregnancy – before a crisis occurs – and receive continuous care after birth.
My background as a former health care worker and my work as a bioethicist have taught me to recognize and address the structural barriers that prevent families from receiving care. Through volunteering with Sisters in Support, D.A. Blodgett adoptive parent support, and MomsBloom, I have also seen how early, trusted support can change a family’s trajectory. When we invest in mothers during pregnancy and after birth, we give babies and entire families a healthier start.
Think Babies supports more funding for programs that support nurturing relationships and well-being for babies and caregivers — like home visiting, consultation, and intervention services —to help address and prevent stress and trauma before they become a crisis. How familiar are you with these kinds of programs, and would you support increased funding for them if elected?
Think Babies Michigan is a statewide coalition of families, professionals, organizations, and advocates working to improve the lives of babies from the prenatal period through age three. Its focus on nurturing relationships and early support recognizes that babies thrive when their caregivers have access to trusted, responsive services.
I am familiar with home visiting, consultation, and early intervention through my experience as a former health care worker, bioethicist, mother, and volunteer with Sisters in Support, D.A. Blodgett adoptive parent support, and MomsBloom. Despite my health care training, I welcomed visits from a public health department nurse and looked forward to the check-ins, practical advice, and reassurance they provided. That experience showed me that every family can benefit from trusted support. I would support increased, sustainable funding to strengthen the workforce, reduce waitlists, and expand access, especially in underserved communities. Early help creates a lasting impact for babies, caregivers, and communities.
The Early On Coalition — which is part of Think Babies — has advocated for increased funding to support families with infants and toddlers who have disabilities and developmental delays to make sure they get the individualized early intervention services they are entitled to. What is your perspective on increasing funding for Early On?
I support increasing sustainable funding for Early On so infants and toddlers with disabilities or developmental delays receive the individualized early intervention services they are entitled to without long waits or geographic disparities. Early identification and timely support can strengthen development, help caregivers advocate for their children, and reduce the need for more intensive services later. Funding should reflect the actual cost of services, strengthen and fairly compensate the workforce, improve outreach, and ensure smooth coordination among families, health care providers, and schools.
Every family deserves that kind of accessible, trusted support, especially when a child has a disability or developmental delay.
If elected, how would you gather input from parents, caregivers, and early childhood professionals in your district when making decisions that affect them?
If elected, I would create regular opportunities for parents, caregivers, and early childhood professionals to shape policy through listening sessions, community roundtables, surveys, and visits to child care centers and family-support programs. I would partner with trusted local organizations to reach families who may not attend traditional public meetings, including families in rural areas, families of children with disabilities, and those facing language, transportation, or scheduling barriers. I would also seek input from early educators, home visitors, health care professionals, and intervention specialists who understand where systems are succeeding and where families encounter obstacles.
Engagement must be ongoing, accessible, and meaningful – not limited to a single meeting after decisions have already been made. I would share what I heard, explain how it influenced my decisions, and remain accountable when competing priorities require difficult choices. My experiences as a mother, school board member, health care worker, bioethicist, and community volunteer have taught me that effective policy begins by listening to those most directly affected.
Is there anything else you would like Michigan families, early childhood professionals, and advocates to know about your approach to young children and their families?
My understanding of family is rooted in lived experience. One of my children joined our family through an open adoption, where four parents worked together to meet the needs of a once-small baby and a much bigger family. That experience taught me that families can grow not only in size, but also in trust, inclusion, and mutual support. Public policy should reflect that same spirit by respecting the many ways families are formed and ensuring they can find help without judgment.
I will approach early childhood policy by asking whether it strengthens relationships, expands belonging, and gives every child a secure foundation. Parents and caregivers should not have to navigate complex systems alone, and professionals should have the resources and respect needed to support them. When families are welcomed, heard, and connected early, children have a stronger opportunity to thrive. Family should become bigger, more inclusive, and more supportive.
Are there early childhood issues you believe are being overlooked in the current policy conversation in Michigan?
I believe infant and early childhood mental health is too often overlooked. Michigan needs more professionals trained to recognize and address mental health needs beginning in infancy, while also supporting parents and caregivers. Early screening can identify developmental, emotional, and relational concerns before they become crises, but families need timely access to qualified providers and should not have to wait until they are overwhelmed to seek help.
We should treat mental health as a routine part of well-being, just like medical care, dental care, and vision exams. Families should be able to establish a relationship with a trusted mental health provider early, rather than scrambling to find help during a crisis. Investing in trained professionals, preventive screenings, caregiver support, and integrated services would reduce stigma, strengthen parent-child relationships, and give children a healthier start.