On April 9, 2025, at the Michigan Economic Developers Association (MEDA) Spring Conference, attendees attended a presentation titled, “Regional Child Care Coalitions: A Cross-Sector Solution to Accelerate Economic Growth + Meet Family Needs.” The session was co-presented by Joan Blough, Senior Director of the Child Care Innovation Fund at the Early Childhood Investment Corporation (ECIC) and Lisa Brewer Walraven, Director of Child Development and Care at MiLEAP.
This session highlighted work under Michigan’s Regional Child Care Coalitions (RCCCs), a strategic statewide initiative aiming to transform child care access through cross sector collaboration. During the session, Blough and Brewer Walraven shared key findings and recommendations from the RCCC’s planning phase. They also introduced the 9 Regional Child Care Coalition Lead and Co-Lead organizations now tasked with facilitating child care supply-building efforts across Michigan. Their presentation detailed the collaborative initiative between MiLEAP, ECIC, and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC). The collaboration is intended to strengthen Michigan’s child care infrastructure.
The Regional Child Care Coalition (RCCC) initiative represents a statewide collaborative effort. The work requires collaboration among local economic development organizations, governments, child care business owners, employers, parents, business leaders, and community leaders in the early childhood sector to ensure a comprehensive systems approach designed to enhance local child care systems in a locally responsive way.
The presentation illustrated how MiLEAP has catalyzed early child hood care and education efforts across the state. MiLEAP’s Early childhood projects include critical investments in talent and workforce development in the early childhood sector, affordability and access and community engagement. The RCCC initiative, implemented through a partnership between ECIC’s Child Care Innovation Fund, MiLEAP and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), reinforces a vital truth: child care is economic infrastructure. With child care shortages contributing to an estimated $2.88 billion in annual losses to Michigan’s economy, this initiative seeks to stabilize and expand child care systems to support working families and unlock economic potential.
Attendees of the MEDA Spring Conference gained valuable insights into how regional coalitions have been working to transform Michigan’s child care landscape, ultimately contributing to a more resilient and prosperous economy for Michigan’s families and future.