A summary of a report from Peter Pratt, President of Public Sector Consultants in Michigan

The Michigan legislature passed–and Republican Governor Snyder signed into law–the FY16 budget in June. Despite severe budget pressure, lawmakers and the governor affirmed their commitment to wise early childhood investment by:

• allowing more low-income families to keep the child care subsidy when their income increases, so that work isn’t an impediment to child care;
• increasing payments for child care to higher quality providers;
• hiring additional child care consultants to monitor and license child care facilities (the legislature even added to the governor’s recommended increase for these consultants);
• implementing a parent education pilot for families and children under age 4;
• expanding home visiting programs to at-risk families to encourage early literacy activities; and
• continuing funding for the kindergarten entry assessment, which would otherwise have sunseted.

The legislature fully supported Gov. Snyder’s commitment to improving third-grade reading proficiency through these and other early literacy initiatives for children in kindergarten through third grade. The early literacy initiative represents $31.5 million in new investment and the child care initiatives add another $13.7 million (all federal money).

P.S. The governor’s Third Grade Reading Workgroup released its report. This report focuses on K-3 efforts but devotes Strategy #3 to early childhood and endorses home visiting and other early interventions to strengthen parent-child relationships. To read the report, click on this link: http://www.michigan.gov/documents/snyder/3rd_Grade_Reading_Workgroup_Report_490977_7.pdf

Supported by AES funding, the Center for Michigan’s and Public Sector Consultants’ work laid the foundation for this new investment. Please see http://bridgemi.com/2015/03/putting-a-value-on-young-minds/ and Policy Options for Children from Birth to Age 3.

Comment: If Michigan can make that kind of progress after their serious economic troubles, surely Wisconsin can find a way.

Dave Edie