Connect with Congress to Share Impact

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Administration for Children and Families (ACF) abruptly announced the immediate closing of five of the 10 ACF regional offices, including the Region 5 office supporting Michigan's programs and services. 

• Join ECIC and national partners at Start Early by sharing the impact of the Administration's actions that are putting Michigan’s youngest children and their families at risk. You can connect with Congress through Start Early's call to action.

An April 11th article in USA TODAY indicated that the Administration is considering a budget proposal that would eliminate funding for Head Start.

• Join ECIC and the National Head Start Association to connect with your Members of Congress to protect Head Start and oppose efforts to eliminate or disrupt this life-changing program that strengthens families and boosts local economies. 

ECIC's Experts Lead Discussions about Family and Parent Leadership

Brooke Albert represented ECIC's National Center for Family & Parent Leadership at the Zero to Three IECMH Financing Policy Project Convening, where she co-moderated a plenary session on family leadership in Michigan’s early childhood system. The discussion emphasized meaningful engagement and compensation for family leaders, featuring parent advocates and experts sharing their experiences. Brooke highlighted best practices for ensuring families are valued partners in IECMH policy development.  

Similarly, at the 2025 National GEAR UP Academy, Sarah Zyburt and Jacob Pinney-Johnson led a session on building strong parent-educator partnerships to enhance student success. Their session provided practical strategies for fostering family engagement, reinforcing the importance of collaborative decision-making in education.  

Don't miss the chance to learn from the National Center for Family and Parent Leadership. Register now for the May 6th webinar, Success Spotlight: Parent Leadership Wins in Action, to hear about real stories of impact in action and gain practical insights and renewed motivation to strengthen parent leadership efforts in your own community or organization. 

State Budget Explainer 

Lawmakers continue to have discussions to craft their FY26 state budget recommendations. Representative Ann Bollin (R-Brighton) and Republican House leadership introduced and passed House Bills 4161 and 4162 in an attempt to keep the state government running by funding only critical areas like public safety, education, and local government operations while giving lawmakers an extended opportunity to negotiate. However, the Michigan State Senate signaled resistance to this approach and reaffirmed their commitment to the self-imposed June 30 deadline. 

This stalemate could present challenges for key services that benefit families with young children. The House Bills do not include funding for programs like PreK for All, CDC Child Care scholarships, and state funding for early intervention services, among other services and programs. Both chambers are required to form a conference committee for negotiations ahead of final passage. Our partners at the Michigan League for Public Policy have resources to understand Michigan’s budget process, and you can use this ECIC budget highlight resource to monitor activity throughout the budget process to see how young children and their families are being prioritized.  

Rx Kids Continues to Expand 

Rx Kids, the nation’s first community wide prenatal and infant cash prescription program, has seen significant growth and expansion since its launch last year. 

The program utilizes the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program to combine state, federal and private dollars for direct financial support of expecting mothers and newborns. Starting in Flint, over 1,500 families have enrolled and more than $6 million has been distributed. Now areas like Kalamazoo, the Upper Peninsula and Pontiac are partnering with community-based organizations to provide these benefits to expecting moms and babies in their area. To learn more about RX Kids, please visit their website. 

Changes to the U.S. Department of Education and Impact on Early Childhood 

The Trump administration has announced plans to shut down the U.S. Department of Education by eliminating longstanding programs, transferring some department programs to other agencies, or transitioning other responsibilities to individual states. These funding cuts will impact programs and services for babies and toddlers by reducing resources for early intervention services. Reducing or eliminating these federal educational programs will put the burden on state educational budgets and ultimately cause harm to the most vulnerable children. 

Early childhood educators and professionals already face low wages, and cutting programs like Public Service Loan Forgiveness could worsen teacher shortages, leading to long waitlists and rising child care costs. Dismantling the Department and defunding its programs puts these essential supports at risk. 

To learn more about the impact the Department of Education has on babies and toddlers, you can read this article from ZERO TO THREE™.  

Early Childhood Advocates' Corner

ECIC's Michigan Early Childhood Bill Tracker

The Michigan Senate Housing and Human Services Committee advanced the remaining ten maternal health bills known as the Momnibus package last month. With broad bipartisan support on the committee, this bill package will improve integrity and accountability in Michigan’s maternal health care system, ensuring equity in pregnancy and birthing experiences. 

Are you interested in Michigan legislation about early childhood? Stay up to date with current policy bills using our 2025/2026 ECIC Bill Tracker.

Lifting Our Voices Summit: Registration Open

Michigan’s Children is proud to announce the 2025 Lifting Our Voices Summit will be held in Lansing on May 22. Honoring the advocacy legacy of Michele Corey, this will be a free event open to anyone in Michigan who cares about child and family issues. Register now to reserve your spot!

Maternal Infant Health Summit (MIHS)

Join the 8th annual Maternal Infant Health Summit (MIHS) on June 17 and 18 in Kalamazoo to connect with experts, advocates, and community leaders working to improve health outcomes across the state. This event offers discussions, networking opportunities, and actionable strategies to drive positive change. Register for the MIHS today.

Provider Spotlight

CDC I-Billing Updates

CDC I-Billing is now available to child care providers on MiLogin as of Sunday, March 23rd. As part of a recent transition, providers can now access I-Billing through their individual State of Michigan MiLogin accounts. This change shifts access from logging in directly through I-Billing to logging in via MiLogin. The transition will be phased in, with both login formats available for a period of time.  

If you have not yet created a MiLogin account, please follow the instructions to set up your account and connect it to I-Billing. For more information, visit Provider Billing Guidance. 

If providers have questions, they may contact the CDC Program Office at 866-990-3227. 

GSRP Start-Up Grants Available for CBOs

For licensed center-based PreK providers interested in participating in Michigan’s GSRP programs, Start Up grants for local Community Based Organizations (CBOs) are now available for assist with costs associated with opening a new GSRP classroom or expanding an existing classroom to enroll additional children. CBOs can discuss GSRP with their local ISD Early Childhood Contact to inquire about partnering to offer GSRP. 

Request for Proposals for Strong Beginnings Three-Year-Old Preschool Pilot Program

Existing GSRP programs including Local Education Agencies (LEAs), Community-Based Organizations (CBOs), Head Start programs, and Public School Academies (PSAs or “Charter Schools”) are encouraged to apply for these new three-year-old preschool classrooms through their ISD.  

Eligibility criteria and the Request for Proposal can be found at the Clinton County RESA page.

32p(4) Home Visitation Grant Re-Competition

The Family Service Team at MiLEAP is currently preparing for the Section 32p(4) Home Visitation grant re-competition, open to Great Start Collaboratives (GSCs). Local Home Visiting providers who operate Parents as Teachers, Early Head Start, Healthy Families America, Nurse-Family Partnership or PALS-Infant home visitation models can contact their local GSC to learn more.

Get Involved: In the Community

Success Spotlight: Parent Leadership Wins in Action

Help Improve Maternal Health

Career Opportunities at ECIC

Starting a career at ECIC means joining a mission-driven organization dedicated to improving outcomes for children and families. Visit our Careers page to discover current opportunities and become part of a team making a meaningful impact in early childhood systems. Current openings include Grants and Contract Manager, Program Manager - Regional Child Care Coalition, Policy & Outreach Associate, Innovation Associate, Assessors, Senior Director of External Affairs, and Technical Assistance (TA) Consultant.