The Michigan Early Childhood Budget Tracker for Fiscal Year 2027 was last updated February 12, 2026.
Understanding the Budget Tracker:
Each column represents an independent proposal put forth by the body indicated on the heading. After the Governor, Senate, and House each release their own proposals (columns A-C), the Senate and House work together to iron out the differences (column D).
- Executive Recommendation: the Governor’s budget proposal
- Senate: the Senate’s budget proposal
- House: the House of Representatives’ budget proposal
- Passed by the Legislature: the final proposal put forth by the Senate and House after their negotiations – this version will be sent to the Governor’s desk for signature (where she can line-item veto)
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Child Care
Executive Recommendation Senate Proposal House Proposal Passed by the Legislature
No increase to CDC scholarship reimbursement rates for child care providers. Providers continue to be paid based on enrollment rather than attendance.
Maintains $1.5 million for Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Program
Maintains funding for Michigan National Guard child care assistance program for children of National Guard members.
Maintains $3.4 million for the TriShare Child Care Program
Early Learning Partnerships
Executive Recommendation Senate Proposal House Proposal Passed by the Legislature
A new $30 million investment for Early Learning Partnerships, which would provide central access points to early childhood services; family and community outreach to build awareness, trust, and referral networks; support early identification of developmental delays; and provide real-time insights to improve services and systems. The $30 million total includes:
- $16.9 million for Partnerships' staffing costs and to improve family engagement and child development, provide universal developmental screening and follow up supports, and participate in a coordinated, statewide enrollment system
- $3.9 million for family support services, including home visiting
- $4 million to improve access to books and early literacy materials for children birth to age five
- $4 million to raise awareness of available early learning services, including through implementation of a coordinated statewide enrollment system
- $1.2 million to provide statewide leadership, technical assistance, and central access
GSRP
Executive Recommendation Senate Proposal House Proposal Passed by the Legislature
$764.7 million gross to provide universal PreK through the Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP) for all four-year-olds, which includes a 6% increase to per pupil rates:
- Increases per child allocation to $11,290
- Increases extended GSRP option to $13,548
- Increases part-day options to $5,645
- Increases extended blended programs to $6,774
Maintains requirement for ISDs to contract at least 30 percent of their allocation to community-based providers.
Maintains $28 million for transportation costs, which includes $10 million from the GSRP reserve fund. Maintains language requiring MiLEAP to develop parameters to provide reimbursement for parent or guardian provided transportation.
Maintains $25 million to continue start up and expansion grants to open 1,000 additional classrooms.
Maintains funding for universal free breakfast and lunch for PreK-12 students in school-based settings, and proposes making free school meals permanent in state law.
Early Identification & Intervention (Early On)
Executive Recommendation Senate Proposal House Proposal Passed by the Legislature
Increases by $1.5 million for a total of $25.1 million total
Maternal & Child Health
Executive Recommendation Senate Proposal House Proposal Passed by the Legislature
No funding included to study the expansion of continuous Medicaid coverage for children under age 6.
Maintains $5 million for local collaboratives to improve and coordinate maternal and infant health as a part of the perinatal quality collaborative.
Maintains $10 million to support hospital improvements in maternal safety and outcomes; including focusing on pregnancy-associated injury and death, racial disparities, and substance use disorder.
Maintains funding for CenteringPregnancy at $5 million.
Maintains $2.75 million for rural home visiting program.
Maintains $500,000 to provide car seats for newborns who are TANF eligible.
Economic Security
Executive Recommendation Senate Proposal House Proposal Passed by the Legislature
Maintains funding for Prenatal and Infant Cash Support Program "Rx Kids" at $20 million
For a comparison, the FY26 Michigan Early Childhood Budget Tracker is available for your review.