Little Dreamer's Early Learning Center

Yesterday we had the privilege of testifying before the Michigan Senate to advocate for stronger support for child care and early education.

Early education is not simply child care. It is essential infrastructure that supports families, the workforce, and the future of our communities.

When child care is strong, families work, children thrive, and Michigan’s future becomes stronger for everyone.

Grateful for the opportunity to advocate for the children, families, and early educators who make this work possible every day.

Yesterday our Founder/CEO had the privilege of testifying before the Michigan Senate to advocate for stronger support for child care and early education.

Early education is not simply child care. It is essential infrastructure that supports families, the workforce, and the future of our communities.

When child care is strong, families work, children thrive, and Michigan’s future becomes stronger for everyone.

Grateful for the opportunity to advocate for the children, families, and early educators who make this work possible every day.

Today in the Senate Housing and Human Services committee we focused on a group of bills meant to address the child care crisis in Michigan. We heard from parents, providers, and employers how important this issue is and how these bills would help.

These bills represent a group of reforms meant to lower costs for families and providers. The bills expand options for employee healthcare coverage, creates new opportunities for child care micro-centers, and reforms the process for handling minor violations by creating an appeals process for providers. Here is a more detailed explanation with comments from the bill sponsors:

Senate Committee Tackles Legislation to Lower Child Care Costs for Families, Support Workers

Array of testimony underscores benefits of proposed child care improvements and cost-sharing to kids, parents, providers, and businesses

LANSING, Mich. (March 10, 2026) — Today, the Senate Housing and Human Services Committee, chaired by Sen. Jeff Irwin (D-Ann Arbor), held a hearing on Senate Bills 310-313, Senate Democrats’ legislation to cut high child care costs in Michigan and better serve child care providers.

“The rising costs of raising children has created an overwhelming burden on families,” said Sen. Mallory McMorrow (D-Royal Oak), sponsor of Senate Bill 310. “As the mom of a young daughter myself, I know what parents are going through — balancing it all with so much economic uncertainty — and we don’t have a minute to wait. It’s time we build our societal infrastructure to lower costs for families so you can focus less on worrying and more on parenting. This legislation is about giving families the support you need by tackling your most urgent issues — shrinking budgets, lack of child care, and rising rates of childhood poverty.”

“Michigan’s child care crisis drains billions from our economy each year and forces families out of the workforce. It is pushing underpaid child care workers out of their jobs. It’s clear that the system is broken from all angles, and it requires a comprehensive solution now, before even more families are faced with impossible decisions,” said Sen. Rosemary Bayer (D-West Bloomfield), sponsor of Senate Bill 311. “This package focuses on what matters most: quality care for our kids, consistency for our providers, and support for our families so they can afford to stay in their jobs. It's a win for our communities, and it's a win for our economy.”

The bills would make child care more affordable for families and more sustainable for child care professionals and entrepreneurs by:

Codifying the innovative bipartisan program, Tri-Share, that splits the cost of child care equally among employers, the state, and employees;
Tying the Child Care Reimbursement Rate to inflation to provide certainty and consistency to providers; and
Updating licensing requirements for child care centers and removing burdensome barriers to opening and operating centers.

“Codifying safe, accessible, and affordable child care programming empowers parents to advance their careers and equips our next generation with the critical support they need in childhood,” said Sen. Sean McCann (D-Kalamazoo), sponsor of Senate Bill 312. “Supporting our hardworking Michigan families is crucial amid rising costs. Taking action to provide tangible relief on trusted, reliable child care services — one of the most significant household expenses — is common sense. I am incredibly proud to see this legislation advance.”

“Affordable, accessible child care continues to be one of the most pressing issues facing parents and employers in all corners of our state. While the high cost of care prices families out, our child care providers face unnecessary, burdensome barriers to opening or expanding, which only drives up costs even more,” said Sen. Sarah Anthony, sponsor of Senate Bill 313. “Addressing Michigan’s child care crisis requires more than one fix, and this package does just that — taking a comprehensive approach that tackles costs, improves access, and cuts red tape all at once.”

These bills build on the success of the Tri-Share program and address other longstanding requests by child care providers to make their jobs easier and more stable

In today’s hearing, additional testimony in support of the bills was provided by employers, parents, and child care providers and advocates, including Michigan’s Children, the Early Childhood Investment Corporation (ECIC), Bay-Arenac Intermediate School District Educational Service Center (a current Tri-Share participant), and more.

To watch a recording of today’s hearing, click here: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1ARm7TzqEA/

Thank you so much to WILX News 10and the Ingham Family Preschool Network for highlighting our program and giving us the opportunity to share more about our Little Dreamers community. We are so grateful for the time, care, and excitement you brought into our space. Our kiddos had an amazing time and truly enjoyed the experience. We can’t wait to see how the segment turns out tomorrow!

We still have a few free Pre K slots available for the current school year. Families can visit inghampreschool.org, select Little Dreamers, and enroll today!

There have been recent federal actions and proposed changes that could delay or disrupt child care assistance funding, and it’s important the public understands what’s at stake.

Whether you have children or not, child care is not just a family issue. It is an infrastructure issue and an economic one.

When child care funding is delayed or disrupted, the ripple effects are felt everywhere. Parents cannot work or attend school. Small businesses struggle to stay staffed. Employers lose reliability. Entire communities feel the strain.

In Michigan, child care assistance already operates within established laws and oversight structures, and there has been no evidence of widespread fraud within the system. In moments like this, my hope is that recent events encourage collaboration among lawmakers, child care providers, and all stakeholders to strengthen what is already working and address real challenges without creating new barriers.

Sustainable solutions require partnership. When we work together, we can reduce administrative burden, protect access to care, and ensure families and providers can navigate the system with clarity and stability.

If you care about a strong workforce, a healthy economy, and communities that function, this issue affects you. Follow the link in the original post to contact your federal lawmakers, oppose funding delays or freezes, push back against unnecessary administrative burdens, and support policies that protect families’ access to child care.

The federal government has abruptly implemented new oversight requirements and protocols for states to access child care funding. With no evidence of widespread fraud or abuse in Michigan’s child care scholarship program, even the threat of funding delays or freezes leads to uncertainty for working parents, small business owners, and employers who depend on stable child care.

Contact your federal lawmakers now, and tell them to protect federal child care funding: https://bit.ly/4qbc7KF

Thank you so much, State Senator Sarah Anthony. That means a lot to me and to our entire Little Dreamers team. We’re so honored to serve Lansing’s children and families every day, and grateful for leaders like you who continue to champion early childhood education and working families. 💛

🏆Big congrats to LEAP's Elevate program alum Jacqueline Taylor, founder of Little Dreamers Early Learning Center on being recognized by the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce as its 2025 Athena PowerLink Recipient!

👉https://hubs.la/Q03YwLlC0