Advocating for Michigan's Children | State Budget Makes Meaningful Investment in Michigan’s Youngest Children | |
This month, Michigan lawmakers passed a state budget that makes meaningful investments in our youngest children and the families and communities who support them. The budget now awaits the Governor’s signature. This budget reflects a foundational commitment to early childhood that Michigan needs.
By protecting the Child Care Scholarship program and PreK for All, reinvesting in local early childhood infrastructure with Early Learning Partnerships, and creating dedicated funding by establishing the Early Childhood Investment Fund, the Legislature has demonstrated its commitment to understanding that Michigan’s future begins in its earliest years.
Research makes clear that every dollar invested in young children yields a return of up to 13%, and today’s investments are a meaningful step for our future.
Thanks in no small part to the Think Babies Michigan coalition’s continued advocacy across the state, Michigan joins over 20 states in recognizing the need for dedicated funding for the earliest years through the Early Childhood Investment Fund. Investments in next year’s budget help build the foundation to change that reality.
Learn more about how young children fared in the FY2027 budget at the Think Babies Michigan July 22 Budgeting for Babies webinar.
Visit ECIC's early childhood budget tracker to learn more about funding for key early childhood programs across the state.
| | Voting Has Begun: Voter and Candidate Education Toolkits | | |
The 2026 election season has significant stakes for Michigan’s early childhood landscape, and voting has already begun for the August Primaries!
Visit the 2026 Voter and Candidate Education Toolkit for more information on important election dates and voting resources, including early childhood-specific resources to help you become an informed voter. And be sure you have a plan to vote on August 4th.
Visit ECIC’s new Early Care and Education Voter and Candidate Education Toolkit to learn more about why elections matter for early childhood, the action steps you can take today, and how to engage with candidates on early childhood issues.
The 2026 Voter and Candidate Education Toolkit will be updated regularly throughout election season, and we will add resources from the Think Babies Michigan Coalition partners as they become available, so stay tuned!
| | ECIC Foundation to Host Inaugural Fundraiser Supporting Michigan's Youngest Children and Their Families | |
The First Steps, Bright Futures fundraiser on September 16 will support initiatives to ensure Michigan’s youngest children can thrive.
The ECIC Foundation, the newly launched nonprofit arm of the Early Childhood Investment Corporation (ECIC), has announced its inaugural annual fundraiser, First Steps, Bright Futures, to be held on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, at Grewal Hall in Lansing.
All proceeds from the event will support the advancement of ECIC’s mission to ensure that every child has the opportunity to succeed in school and in life.
The annual fundraiser will serve as a celebration of Michigan's early childhood community and the professionals who power it. The event will bring together philanthropic, corporate, and community leaders committed to building a stronger early childhood system in Michigan.
Proceeds will go directly toward initiatives that elevate the issues affecting young children and their families and continuously improve Michigan’s comprehensive early childhood system.
Sponsorship opportunities are available at multiple levels, and tickets are now on sale at ecic4kids.org/firststeps.
| Sponsor the First Steps, Bright Futures Fundraiser | |
Please consider sponsoring the inaugural First Steps, Bright Futures fundraiser to be a part of what promises to be a nostalgic, magical evening.
Investing in early childhood is one of the most powerful ways to strengthen communities and grow Michigan’s future. Yet families with young children across the state continue to face significant challenges in having their needs met, and the early childhood industry remains under-resourced.
Your support of the ECIC Foundation will help address these challenges by unlocking new funding, supporting innovation, advocating for families, and strengthening partnerships.
Together, we can do more — and deepen our impact — for all Michigan children and families.
| | ICYMI: Competitive Funding Opportunity for Great Start to Quality Resource Centers | | |
ECIC has announced a competitive funding opportunity for Great Start to Quality Resource Centers that opened on June 24, 2026.
As a partner to the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential, ECIC is soliciting applications from up to 10 qualified organizations to serve as Great Start to Quality Resource Centers. A qualified organization will be selected to serve as the Great Start to Quality Resource Center for each of Michigan’s 10 economic development regions.
Organizations selected to serve as Great Start to Quality Resource Centers will partner with ECIC to implement Practice-Based Coaching and other forms of evidence-based technical assistance and training for eligible child care programs and their educators.
This funding opportunity will not award individual child care providers or businesses. Eligible organizations include public or private for-profit or nonprofit legal entities or agencies that can demonstrate the capacity and ability to effectively implement the Great Start to Quality Resource Center(s) Scope of Work in one or more regions. Organizations that wish to apply to serve more than one region must submit a separate application for each region.
| | Budgeting for Babies: The Legislature's FY2027 Budget for PN-3 | | |
The Michigan Legislature passed its FY27 budget earlier this month, and Think Babies Michigan wants to keep all of our infant and toddler advocates in the loop!
Join us for a virtual webinar on Wednesday, July 22, from 1-2 p.m. EST.
Think Babies Michigan partners will dig into the FY2027 budget passed by the Legislature, focusing on children from prenatal-to-three and their families.
We'll also share how you can continue to be an advocate for infants and toddlers to help make sure that Michigan's babies remain a top priority for lawmakers.
| | Save the Date: Advocacy 401 | | |
Advocacy 401: Nonpartisan Electoral Advocacy
Wednesday, July 22, 2026
Register here for 12 PM–1 PM EST
Register here for 6 PM–7 PM EST
In Advocacy 301, we learned about different levels of government and the role they play in early care and education – in 401, we will learn how to effectively plan for and engage in nonpartisan electoral advocacy on those levels. This training is open to all interested advocates, families, direct service providers, community members, and early care and education professionals – no prior advocacy experience needed, although attendance at Advocacy 301 is encouraged.
Trainings will not be recorded, but slides will be shared with registrants. MiRegistry training credit will be available – keep an eye out for the link to register for credit!
| | Early Childhood Advocates' Corner | | Turn the Tables Virtual Office Hours | | |
Pull up a seat, because it's time we turn the tables! Have questions on how to ensure families’ experiences are strengthening your programs, services, and systems? The National Center for Family & Parent Leadership can help!
We're here to help you build capacity to expand and embed family and parent leadership to improve early childhood systems in Michigan and across the country.
Family & Parent Leadership office hours will be held every 2nd and 4th Thursday at 12 p.m. EST for 30 minutes.
The next office hours will be held on July 23rd at 12 p.m. EST.
Questions? Contact FPL@ecic4kids.org. Recordings are available on the NCFPL website.
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