Childcare Providers Association of Michigan

Childcare Providers Association of Michigan We are a non-profit group of childcare providers with a collective voice working together to improve childcare in Michigan.

Our Goals:

To ensure private licensed providers have a voice at the table at every state policy discussion. To provide decision-makers and legislators insight into how policies affect daily operations. To communicate and provide guidance to members regarding legislative and administrative changes that will affect daily operations. To advocate affordable childcare for families.

šŸšØ IMPORTANT UPDATE REGARDING OAG VISITSCPAOM has received additional information regarding the unannounced Office of Aud...
09/11/2026

šŸšØ IMPORTANT UPDATE REGARDING OAG VISITS

CPAOM has received additional information regarding the unannounced Office of Auditor General visits currently taking place at some Michigan childcare programs.

We have been told that, during at least one recent visit, the individual conducting the visit described the review as being focused on MiLEAP rather than providers and encouraged the provider to openly share problems they had experienced with MiLEAPā€™s billing system.

We want providers to understand that this characterization does not fully reflect the scope published by the Office of Auditor General.

According to the OAGā€™s own audit description, the audit is examining MiLEAPā€™s Program Integrity and Oversight activities, including how childcare providers are selected for time and attendance reviews intended to identify fraud and other program violations, as well as MiLEAPā€™s process for disqualifying providers determined to have committed intentional program violations.

MiLEAP is absolutely under review. Providers may also have important information to share regarding billing problems, system errors, communication failures, or other issues they have experienced with the agency.

However, providers should not assume that these visits are simply informal conversations about MiLEAPā€™s billing system.

If someone arrives at your program on behalf of the OAG, providers should take the time to determine:

-Who the individual is and who they work for
-What authority they are acting under
-What information, records, or access they are requesting
-What your obligations are in responding to that request
-Whether you want to seek legal advice before proceeding

Before answering questions, producing records, or permitting access beyond what is ordinarily required for your program, providers should understand who is making the request, the authority under which the request is being made, and their own rights and obligations.

MiLEAPā€™s own notice advised providers who may be selected for these visits to seek appropriate legal counsel or advice regarding their rights and responsibilities. CPAOM continues to strongly encourage providers to take that guidance seriously.

Providers can be truthful about their experiences with MiLEAP while still protecting their own interests and making sure they understand exactly what they are being asked to participate in.

CPAOM will continue gathering information and sharing updates with providers as we learn more.

___________________________________

Disclaimer: This information is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Any description of statements made during an OAG visit is based on information reported to CPAOM and should not be interpreted as an official statement of OAG policy or procedure. CPAOM is not advising providers to refuse lawful access, withhold required information or records, or otherwise fail to comply with any applicable law, regulation, contract, or CDC program requirement. Providers should consult qualified legal counsel regarding their specific rights and obligations.

09/09/2026

The Michigan Office of the Auditor General is currently reviewing selected program integrity activities within the Child Development and Care program, and some providers may receive unannounced OAG visits.

The OAG notes that providers found to have committed intentional program violations may face disqualification from the CDC program.

šŸ”— OAG audit overview:
https://audgen.michigan.gov/in-progress/selected-activities-child-development-care-program-mileap-mdhhs/

During this process, CPAOM is making our CDC / Childcare Subsidy Audit: What to Know and How to Prepare member resource publicly available to all Michigan childcare providers.

šŸ”— CPAOM resource guide:
https://www.cpaom.org/cdc-audit

Please share these resources widely with providers in your network.

______________

CPAOMā€™s guide provides general information and is not legal advice or specific guidance regarding the current OAG visits.

šŸšØ URGENT NOTICE FOR MICHIGAN CHILDCARE PROVIDERSMiLEAP has announced that the Michigan Office of Auditor General plans t...
09/09/2026

šŸšØ URGENT NOTICE FOR MICHIGAN CHILDCARE PROVIDERS

MiLEAP has announced that the Michigan Office of Auditor General plans to conduct unannounced visits to a small number of childcare providers as part of its audit of the CDC Scholarship program.

Providers who may be selected are those who received CDC Scholarship payments and underwent review between October 1, 2024 and May 31, 2026.

MiLEAP specifically advises providers whose facilities are selected to seek appropriate legal counsel or advice regarding their rights and obligations.

If your program falls within this group, please review the notice now and make sure you are prepared.

CPAOM is monitoring this closely and will continue to share information with providers as it becomes available.

āž”ļø Read the full MiLEAP notice:

https://www.michigan.gov/mileap/shell/-/media/Project/Websites/mileap/Documents/Executive/OAG-visits-provider-letter.pdf

Labor Day is about more than a day off. It is about the power of people standing together to demand dignity, respect, an...
09/07/2026

Labor Day is about more than a day off. It is about the power of people standing together to demand dignity, respect, and a voice in the systems that shape their work.

Childcare providers belong in that story.

CPAOM is not a labor union, but we are part of the same tradition of collective action. We organize providers around shared interests, advocate for better policy, elevate their voices, and push for a system that recognizes the true value of our work.

Childcare is labor. Childcare is infrastructure. And the people who sustain it deserve to be heard.

This Labor Day, we honor Michiganā€™s childcare providers and the power of standing together.

09/05/2026

ā€œAll labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance.ā€
ā€” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

This Labor Day, CPAOM is proud to recognize Michiganā€™s childcare providers and the essential work they do every day.

As CPAOM Board Member Danielle Baker reminds us, childcare is vital infrastructure, and vital infrastructure deserves rest, too.

CPAOM is built on the belief that providers are stronger when they stand together, advocate together, and support one another.

In observance of Labor Day, our September 7 Member Roundtable is canceled.

Thank you, Dani, for the reminder. And thank you to every provider helping Michiganā€™s families work, grow, and thrive.

Last week, CPAOM had the privilege of visiting childcare providers across Michigan as part of our Provider Listening Tou...
08/25/2026

Last week, CPAOM had the privilege of visiting childcare providers across Michigan as part of our Provider Listening Tour.

To every provider who opened your doors, made time in your day, welcomed us into your program, and trusted us with your perspective: thank you. We are genuinely grateful for the opportunity to listen and learn from you.

While we werenā€™t able to connect with everyone who signed up, the conversations we did have revealed remarkably consistent concerns across the state, including funding pressures, administrative burdens, workforce challenges, and policies that donā€™t always reflect the realities of operating a childcare program.

We left these visits grateful, energized, and even more committed to carrying provider voices to Lansing.

What are the top three legislative or policy changes you believe would make the biggest difference for Michigan childcare providers?

āž”šŸ“§ Send them to [email protected]. Weā€™ll bring them forward for discussion with our membership as we shape CPAOMā€™s legislative priorities for 2027.

And if you havenā€™t joined CPAOM yet, now is a very good time to do it. Our members will help determine what those 2027 priorities are. If you want a voice in that process, we hope youā€™ll become part of it.

āž”šŸŒ View Membership Details at www.cpaom.org/membership

šŸ“£ Calling all Eastern Michigan childcare providers!CPAOM is hitting the road on Monday, August 17, and we want to hear f...
08/11/2026

šŸ“£ Calling all Eastern Michigan childcare providers!

CPAOM is hitting the road on Monday, August 17, and we want to hear from you.

Throughout the day, weā€™ll be visiting childcare programs across Eastern Michigan to hear directly from providers about whatā€™s working, what isnā€™t, and what Michigan policymakers need to understand about the realities of operating a childcare business.

Then at 6:00 PM, weā€™re bringing providers together in Detroit for an evening of conversation at Child Star Child Care & Academy, generously hosted by Ms. Denise Lomax.

šŸ“ Detroit Provider Gathering
Monday, August 17 | 6:00 PM
Child Star Child Care & Academy
10201 W. Seven Mile Rd., Detroit

All providers. All program types. All voices welcome.

šŸ‘‰ Planning to join us? Help us plan for attendance by RSVPing here:
https://www.cpaom.org/event-details/detroit-provider-gathering-2026-listening-tour

šŸ” Want CPAOM to visit your program while weā€™re in Eastern Michigan? Invite us to stop by:
https://www.cpaom.org/2026-listening-tour

CPAOM Members: Join us TOMORROW or the August Member Round Table!Thereā€™s a lot happening in Michigan childcare, and we w...
08/09/2026

CPAOM Members: Join us TOMORROW or the August Member Round Table!

Thereā€™s a lot happening in Michigan childcare, and we want providers at the center of the conversation.

This month, weā€™ll be talking about:

šŸ›ļø 2027 Legislative Priorities: What should CPAOM be fighting for in Lansing next year?

šŸš— The CPAOM Listening Tour: Weā€™re hitting the road to hear directly from providers across Michigan. Learn where weā€™re headed and how your voice will help shape our advocacy.

šŸ“‹ CDC Updates: Weā€™ll talk through the latest updates and what providers need to know.

CPAOMā€™s priorities arenā€™t developed in a vacuum. Theyā€™re built around the experiences, challenges, and ideas of Michigan childcare providers.

Join us for the August Member Round Table and help shape what comes next.

Monday, August 10
CPAOM Members
Virtual

https://www.cpaom.org/event-details/member-roundtable-2026-08-10-18-30

Michigan childcare providers, we want to hear from you.This month, the CPAOM team is hitting the road to visit childcare...
08/06/2026

Michigan childcare providers, we want to hear from you.

This month, the CPAOM team is hitting the road to visit childcare programs across Michigan, and we'd love to meet you.

Whether you operate a family home, group home, center, multi-site program, or anything in between, your experience matters.

šŸšØLet's clear up one thing:šŸšØ

We're not coming on behalf of the state.
We're not inspectors. We're not licensors. We're not evaluating your program.

We're coming on behalf of providers.

Our job is to listen, learn, and bring your real-world experiences directly to lawmakers in Lansing. The best advocacy starts by understanding what's actually happening in your program, not by making assumptions from an office hundreds of miles away.

CPAOM is a provider-led nonprofit organization dedicated to representing independently licensed childcare providers across Michigan. Every legislative priority we pursue starts with conversations like these.

If you've ever wished someone in Lansing truly understood what it's takes to run a childcare business, this is your opportunity to help us tell that story.

šŸ“ We'll come to you.
šŸ“… August 17-19

Request a visit today!
https://www.cpaom.org/2026-listening-tour

We're hitting the road, and we want to hear from you. šŸš—Every childcare program has a story.This August, CPAOM will trave...
08/03/2026

We're hitting the road, and we want to hear from you. šŸš—

Every childcare program has a story.

This August, CPAOM will travel across Eastern, Central, and Western Michigan to meet directly with childcare providers, visit programs, and hear firsthand about the challenges, successes, and opportunities you're experiencing.

The conversations we have during this Listening Tour will help shape CPAOM's advocacy priorities and ensure we're bringing the voices of Michigan's childcare providers directly to policymakers.

If you'd like CPAOM to visit your program during the tour, we'd love to hear from you.

šŸ“ Request a visit at: cpaom.org/2026-listening-tour

Northern Michigan providers: We haven't forgotten about you! We'll be heading north for additional Listening Tour stops later this year, so stay tuned for more details.

Together, we can build stronger advocacy that's grounded in the real experiences of providers across Michigan.

Address

101 S Washington Square, Suite 900
Lansing, MI
48933

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