Michigan House approves child care bills
(The Center Square) – Michigan lawmakers across the aisle agree that child care is too expensive, not accessible, and hampering a COVID-19 recovery from when the state lost thousands of its workforce. The House approved eight bills Tuesday, which aim to increase the accessibility and support networks of child care while dropping the price.
House Bill (HB) 5041 seeks to modify the adult-to-child ratio for in-home child care providers by raising the limit from 1-6 staff members per minor child to 1-7 staff members per minor child for some eligible homes.
HB 5042 aims to modify licensing requirements for a child care center, group child care home, or family to require disclosure of ownership interests. If one center received violations, it couldn’t change its name and switch buildings to rid those violations.
HB 5043 would create a new act to require the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) to establish, upon appropriation, family child care networks for home-based child care providers in every region of the state. That framework would provide connection to peers, business, operations, and program quality support, as well as training and technical assistance.
Under the bill, MDE would have to establish a family child care network in every region in the state to join a statewide community of professional development, data collection and evaluation to measure success. That child care network would have to offer or connect providers to all of the following services:
Individual coachingTraining and professional development, including supporting developmental screenings, health and nutrition, program quality, and early childhood mental health consultationConnections to peersOperational supports, including assistance with licensing, subsidy billing, and recruiting families.Business services, including tax preparation, policies and procedures, and human resources support
HB 5044 aims to require MDE to create a regional infant-toddler contract for child care providers funded within the federal child care and development block grant requirements. Contracts would have to be awarded to high-quality providers where MDE determines the demand for infant and toddler child care exceeds supply. Under the bill, the contract would have to include:
Consistent payments made in advance of providing carePayments aligned with the market rateContinued engagement in quality improvementIncreased wage for qualified staffAttendance requirements to continue receiving payment
HB 5045 aims to revise the information held by a child care database. Under the bill, databases would have to include the number and nature of any LARA facility special investigations. But that the database would no longer have to be retained as long as the licensee is licensed.
HB 5046 aims to provide that a child care center has at least 90 days post-rule promulgation to comply with it unless there is an immediate federal obligation or an immediate risk to health and safety.
HB 5047 seeks to require an operator of a child care center to maintain licensing records on the premises. If internet access was available at the facility, LARA’s online database could provide the records.
Under HB 5048, child care facilities would be able to be located in a multiple occupancy facility.
About $1.4 billion of child care spending in the fiscal year 2022 budget is expected to qualify 105,000 more children for child care by increasing income eligibility to 185% of the federal poverty level through fiscal year 2023. The ramped-up child care spending aims to unlock a workforce of women and young parents who left because of child care costs, scarcity, or virtual schooling. Between February 2020 and December 2020, roughly 136,000 women left Michigan’s labor force, a 5.8% decline. Even 17 months into the pandemic in August 2021, the state’s total labor force remains 202,100, or 4.1% below the pre-pandemic February 2020 level.
Rep. Julie Calley, R-Portland, welcomed the new plan.
“Too many moms and dads are forced to make the decision not to return to the workforce after starting a family simply because they can’t find a trusted child-care provider they can afford,” Calley said in a statement. “The changes we’re making will eliminate some of the government red tape that has made it so hard for day-care centers and in-home providers to succeed, so Michigan families have access to more convenient and affordable options in their communities.”
Disclaimer: This content is distributed by The Center Square
