Register Now! Think Babies Michigan Town Hall: Uplifting Needs of Children and Families in an Evolving Policy & Budget Landscape 

Join the Think Babies Michigan (TBMI) Coalition on Tuesday, August 26, at 1-2 p.m. ET for a special Town Hall event! We’ll discuss the latest policy and budget proposals coming out of D.C. and Lansing, and how those proposals will impact our youngest children and their families. Plus, we’ll be answering all YOUR questions along the way so you walk away knowing exactly what you can do to ensure children and families remain lawmakers’ highest priority.

Advancing Workforce Stability Through Early Educator Wage Sustainability Grants

ECIC’s Child Care Innovation Fund is excited about the Early Educator Wage Sustainability Grant, recently announced by Gogebic-Ontonagon Intermediate School District, a strategic effort by MiLEAP to improve compensation for the early care and education workforce in Michigan. Fair and competitive wages are essential to recruiting and retaining highly skilled early educators, ensuring all children have access to consistent, high-quality early education and care. 

ECIC will support Regional Child Care Coalitions to successfully establish and operate these public/private funds beginning January 2026 through August 2027. 

By connecting local insights with statewide coordination, ECIC’s Child Care Innovation Fund will support child care employers in addressing their immediate workforce needs with the Early Educator Wage Sustainability Grant, while contributing to the long-term health of Michigan’s child care system. 

New: MiLEAP, MiAEYC, and GOISD Launch Early Educator Mentor Credential Pilot

The Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP) has announced a new early educator mentor credential pilot. Conducted in partnership with the Michigan Association for the Education of Young Children and the Gogebic-Ontonagon Intermediate School District, the pilot will develop and implement a statewide mentorship credential for up to 75 early educators.

This work draws on learnings identified in the 2024 Regional Child Care Coalitions report, “which highlighted the lack of a standardized credential for mentor teachers as a barrier to quality and sustainability in Michigan’s growing early childhood apprenticeship programs.”

ECIC’s Statement on Head Start Reclassification

In July, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued a notice to reclassify thirteen new programs – including Head Start – as a “federal public benefit” under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA). This change will prevent access to essential services supporting families with young children, including Head Start services for some immigrant children and families.

"Michigan’s future depends on the well-being and development of all our youngest residents, and we cannot afford to create policies that exclude or marginalize them," said ECIC CEO Alicia Guevara in a public comment opposing the change. Read ECIC's statement.

Though the federal comment period on this change has closed, ECIC and national early childhood partners call on constituents to continue educating lawmakers about the importance of Head Start for young children and families.

Your Source for Budget Decisions Impacting Michigan's Young Children and Families

As we wait for final budgets to pass the Michigan legislature, ECIC’s Early Childhood Budget Tracker is your go-to source for budget allocations that affect young children and families across the state! Bookmark the Budget Tracker and check regularly for updates later in the legislative season.

Early Childhood Advocates' Corner

Take Action: Urge Congress to Continue Support for Children and Families this Appropriation Cycle

Congress is officially on recess, and lawmakers have returned home to the communities they represent. When they go back to D.C. after Labor Day, they will make Federal budget negotiations their top priority as the September 30 deadline for passing federal funding quickly approaches. Ensure your congressional members hear from you and your community while they are at home by scheduling a meeting, joining their coffee hours and public meetings, or by hosting a town hall.

Host a town hall during July/August recess! 

• Hosting a Town Hall
• 2025 Budget Reconciliation Advocacy Toolkit (June 2025)
• 2025 Summer R.E.C.E.S.S. Toolkit

Get Involved: In the Community

Scaling Up Registered Apprenticeship Programs Across Michigan