On Wednesday, February 26, 2025, Governor Gretchen Whitmer delivered her seventh State of the State Address in the Michigan House Chamber before a joint session of the State Legislature. The address was broadcast live across the state and the recording can be viewed on the Michigan State of the State webpage.
Throughout her address, Whitmer shared the stories of Michiganders across the state, like Connor, an engineer from Kalamazoo, and his wife have two young children but like many families struggle with the high cost of child care. While calling on bipartisanship efforts to continue to meet the needs of Michigan families, the Governor called on policymakers to build on the historic investments in child care. Governor Whitmer also commended Representative Carol Granville (D – Grand Rapids) for her leadership in championing “pro-family, pro-child, pro-growth policy”, including access to high-quality, affordable child care. Reflecting on the joint work of her administration and the legislature, Whitmer highlighted the positive results Michigan has created for families with young children:
- Quintupled the Working Families Tax Credit, saving families an average of $3,200 for half of all children households in the state.
- PreK for All, which has helped to reduce costs for families with four-year-olds by an average of $10,000 annually and better prepare children for kindergarten.
As Governor Whitmer outlined her broader vision for Michigan’s future, these budget priorities reinforce the administration’s ongoing efforts to support Michigan families. The proposed $83.5 billion budget includes:
- Expanding early childhood education through a $676.1 million investment in the Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP), providing free PreK to an estimated 57,100 children next year and increasing per-child funding. Additional funding would support student transportation, new GSRP providers, and expanded access for three-year-olds through the pilot Strong Beginnings program.
- Child Care Investments, with $50 million allocated to offer affordable child care to families of infants, toddlers, children with disabilities and children living in areas where child care is scarce, and improve cashflow for child care providers through prospective payments.
- Early Intervention Services, including a $4.7 million increase for Early On, bringing total funding to $28.4 million to support young children with developmental delays.
- Maternal and Child Health Initiatives, with $400,000 dedicated to studying continuous Medicaid expansion for children under age six.
- Economic security for families, with continued tax relief measures and a $1.2 million increase in supplemental payments to assist low-income families with children.
- Investments in Workforce Development, including $19 million for registered apprenticeship and apprenticeship readiness programs, strengthening career pathways for Michigan workers, including child care providers.