|
On May 8, 2024, the House approved their School Aid budget proposal that eliminates the requirement for Intermediate School Districts to partner with community-based child care providers to provide pre-kindergarten programs to Michigan families. The budget proposal explicitly prohibits funding required for PreK for All expansion, and new classrooms from going to community-based providers and dedicates the funding exclusively to school-based classrooms. It also removes Governor Whitmer’s executive budget proposal that would provide the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement and Potential (MiLEAP) the necessary flexibilities to implement the PreK for All Roadmap for Michigan four-year-olds.
The budget recommendations will make it more difficult for Michigan working families, especially families of color and those living in rural communities who struggle the most to access affordable and flexible high-quality care and pre-K for their children. The exclusion of nonprofit, Head Start, and child care providers from PreK for All will cause irreparable harm to small businesses and organizations that are mostly operated by women, especially women of color.
We are hopeful that lawmakers will continue to work alongside early childhood leaders and center the needs of Michigan’s families in the state budget. It is important that legislators hear from early childhood partners about the impact this proposal will have.
Reach out to your legislators and use these resources to educate them. Sign on to a joint letter alongside hundreds of others from across the state.
| 
