State Budget News: Prioritizing Young Children and Families | |
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Thank you for joining hundreds of advocates in the Think Babies Michigan coalition, in partnership with Michigan AEYC, as we continue to advocate for our youngest Michiganders in the state budget. Your voice can make a difference.
What You Need to Know About Pre-K Proposals in the Draft Budget: The House and Senate conference committees are expected to meet soon to align the final omnibus education bill that will be voted on and sent to the Governor for signing. One major item still to be finalized is the new Section 32e as proposed in the Senate’s proposed version of the budget. Section 32e would establish a new school district run pre-kindergarten program for four-year-olds that will operate more closely to a first-grade model than the existing Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP). While 32e intends to expand pre-k availability within the state, the early childhood community believes that the 32e program would have significant consequences for the existing mixed-delivery GSRP program and negatively impact community-based child care and Head Start providers.
The expectation is that the Governor will sign the bill by the end of June. The Think Babies Michigan coalition and the Michigan AEYC are leading advocacy efforts to oppose 32e. Our community of advocates hopes to improve this legislation, making changes to the GSRP program that will support the Governor’s goal of moving Michigan toward “Pre-K for all” within her final term.
Finally, the Think Babies Coalition has added their support to proposals from the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA) and the Early On Foundation to boost funding in the budget for Section 54d (Early On’s birth-to-3 early intervention services) and Section 32p (Great Start Collaboratives and Parent Coalitions, and Home Visiting). Learn more about Think Babies Michigan’s current priorities and find resources to contact your elected officials in our Action Alert.
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Child Care Innovation Fund
Five Recommendations to Solve Child Care Workforce Challenges in ECIC’s New Apprenticeship Report
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ECIC’s Child Care Innovation Fund shares findings and five key recommendations on the power of Early Care and Education Registered (ECE) Apprenticeships in a new report that chronicles the development of this important, innovative workforce strategy.
The Innovation Fund collaborated with early care and education sponsoring agency representatives and key state partners to provide updates on where ECE registered apprenticeships will fall on the Miregistry career pathway, discuss the state’s responses to CDA challenges, and to hold discussion around what apprenticeship-sponsoring agencies learned. Were you unable to join in May for the Innovation Fund’s ECE Roundtable discussion? We invite you to watch the webinar recording and learn more.
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These projects are supported by funding provided from the Michigan Department of Education utilizing American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding, from the Office of Child Care, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. | |
In Policy: Acting for Young Kids & Families | |
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Income Eligibility Expanded for WIC
As of June 1, Michigan’s income guidelines for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) have increased. Additional families may now qualify for the program, which provides nutritional education and healthy foods.
A family of four may qualify for WIC with an annual income of up to $55,500, or $4,625 per month, which is an 8.1% increase from last year. WIC is open to participants with incomes up to 185% of the federal poverty level.
Individuals can apply through their local health department or WIC agency and are encouraged to apply if they are:
- Pregnant or have had a baby within the past six months;
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Currently breastfeeding; or,
- Parent or guardian of a child up to age 5.
View the Michigan WIC Income Guidelines here. For more information, visit the Women, Infants & Children website. Contact WIC by calling 800-942-1636 or email michiganwic@michigan.gov.
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Federal Policy: Debt Ceiling & Budget | |
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Last week, Congress averted a default on the nation’s debt by passing a bill that will raise the debt limit. The bill also includes cuts to programs and increases unnecessary work requirements for families under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).
What does this mean for early childhood? Unfortunately, the bill includes mandatory spending caps for the next two years for federal child care and early learning funding, along with cuts to other critical resources for families.
Read more in this article from First Focus on Children.
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Federal Policy: Congressional Hearing on the Child Care Crisis | |
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On Wednesday, May 31, the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee held a hearing on child care, “Solving the Child Care Crisis: Meeting the Needs of Working Families and Child Care Workers.” The overall concern voiced by lawmakers is that the child care crisis is worsening, leaving families unable to afford child care and child care professionals unable to make ends meet. Those sharing before the committee included:
- Ms. Elizabeth Groginsky, Cabinet Secretary, New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Department, Santa Fe, NM
- Ms. Lauren Hogan, Managing Director of Policy and Professional Advancement, National Association for the Education of Young Children, Washington, DC
- Ms. Cheryl Morman, Family Child Care Provider and President, Virginia Alliance for Family Child Care Associations, Richmond, VA
- Ms. Carrie Lukas, President, Independent Women's Forum, Washington, DC
- Ms. Kathryn Larin, Director in Education, Workforce, and Income Security, Government Accountability Office, Washington, DC
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Think Babies Michigan: Family and Parent Leader Spotlight
Think Babies Michigan is excited to share our second Parent Spotlight – a new series celebrating the parents leading the Think Babies Michigan initiative and working to build a stronger, more inclusive prenatal-to-three system for Michigan’s youngest. This month, we're shining a light on Rachelle McKissick-Harris, a strong mother and advocate who is using her voice to lift the experiences of women, and women of color.
Read Rachelle’s story.
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In Our Community: Get Involved | |
Virtual Event: Time, Trust, and Power: Lessons from Parent Leaders on Building an Inclusive Human Services System | |
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Join ECIC and our partners at Pritzker Children’s Initiative Thursday, June 22 from Noon-1:00 p.m. ET for a discussion on what it takes to build an inclusive human services system. The panel will feature early childhood leaders including a federal administrator and parent leaders from Michigan, New Mexico, North Carolina, and federally recognized sovereign tribes.
During this free webinar, you will:
- Learn from parent leaders the best ways to move beyond buzzwords and focus on time, trust, and power sharing.
- Gain insights into how parent leaders recently gave their time and talents to help the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services Administration for Children & Families plan the first federally-sponsored national conference solely devoted to creating an inclusive human services delivery system.
- Learn about the benefits and outcomes of “extending the tent to include everyone” and how working differently and alongside family and parent leaders can strengthen DEI and accessibility practices in early childhood systems.
Don’t miss this powerful discussion, featuring:
- Anthony Queen, Parent Leader
- Zach Ben, Parent Leader
- Amber Robinson, Parent Leader
- Angela Green, Midwest Regional Administrator, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services
- Jacob Pinney-Johnson, Consultant, Equity & Leadership, Early Childhood Investment Corporation
Learn more about the parent leaders who shaped the National Convening on Inclusive Human Services Systems here.
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June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month!
ECIC joins our friends at Michigan's Children and Child Trends in celebrating the diversity of children and family structures nationwide. As LGBTQ+ youth and families face more legislative backlash than ever, we urge our community to stand up for supportive, inclusive practices in early childhood education.
This year, a record number of anti-LGBTQ+ bills - particularly anti-transgender bills - have been introduced by state legislatures, actions that exacerbate already hostile climates for LGBTQ+ youth and families.
Learn more about: Discriminatory transgender health bills; proposed anti-LGBTQ legislation that may contribute to LGBTQ+ youth’s emotional well-being; an adolescent health study that addresses the need to affirm a child’s gender identify; and other discriminatory policies that aren’t supported by research. These children and families deserve better; they deserve our advocacy.
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You’re Invited! Help Plan Celebrate Babies Week 2023
The Michigan Association of Infant Mental Health (MI-AIMH) annual Celebrate Babies Week will take place from October 16-23, 2023. Join us for a week of virtual events dedicated to delighting in and honoring infants.
Mark the date on your calendar and check out the Celebrate Babies Website for more information, ideas and more!
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MICC Parent Compensation Rate Increase | |
On May 11, The Michigan Interagency Coordinating Council (MICC) recently voted to increase the hourly parent compensation rate from $18 to $20 per hour, effective immediately. MICC has financially supported parents since 1999, making parent leadership possible by removing barriers such as child care and transportation costs. ECIC strives toward an equitable future for parent leadership, and will be raising parent honorarium rates alongside our partners in the early childhood system. | |
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Learning Through Play
Play = fun, and for young children, play is so much more! Play provides important opportunities for them to learn academic and social skills that help them thrive and grow in school and in life.
To learn more about the power of play, and incorporate it into your daily child care routine, explore these resources from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).
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Save The Date:
MDE Naptime Nugget
Join us on June 26 from 1-2 p.m. for Michigan Department of Education’s monthly Naptime Nugget, where you can get up-to-date info about the state of Michigan’s child care.
Join using this link!
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Virtual Child Care Access Fair
Visit the Virtual Child Care Access Fair on Saturday, June 10 at 11 a.m. to connect with our partners to learn how to start or expand your career in child care. Fair participants will include Child Care Licensing Bureau, GSQ, IFF, Michigan AEYC, Michigan Reconnect, EGLE, and more!
Register today!
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