Westminster Child Development Center, located in Grand Rapids, welcomed Michigan legislators and representatives from the Early Childhood Investment Corporation (ECIC) on September 30, 2024. Michigan Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks (District 29), State Representative Carol Glanville (District 84), and State Representative Kristian Grant (District 82) joined early childhood leaders to discuss the importance of investing in early care and learning, including supporting the early educator workforce.
As a community-based organization (CBO) that serves diverse families from all economic backgrounds, Westminster Child Development Center shows how state funding for CBOs is necessary for families to thrive. The Center is one of many child care providers across Michigan that accepts the MiLEAP-administered Child Development and Care (CDC) Child Care Scholarships, which reduces the cost of quality child care for eligible families.
Child care professionals at the Center, including director Amber Marz-Momany and assistant director Tanya Gilbert, shared their experiences with workforce challenges like wages. They praised the recently raised CDC Scholarship rates passed by the Legislature and shared their perspective on families’ barriers to accessing CDC Scholarships. While the CDC Scholarship program has made strides to support families, many are still unable to find care that meets their needs—including non-traditional hour care, providers who speak their home languages, and more. Affordable, accessible child care remains a critical need for families as Michigan prioritizes becoming a top state to have and raise children.
“Investments in child care are critical to ensuring that Michigan’s children and communities thrive,” said ECIC CEO, Alicia Guevara Warren. “We’re thankful to legislative partners like Senator Brinks, Representative Glanville, and Representative Grant for joining us to continue the conversation on solutions and strategies to prioritize our youngest Michiganders.”