Child care continues to be a critical need for working families in Northeast Michigan and around the state.

While it’s hard to imagine any type of “desert” so close to Lake Huron, Alcona and Montmorency counties are both considered child care deserts, according to county child care fact sheets compiled by the Michigan League for Public Policy.

And child care availability for Presque Isle and Alpena counties is only slightly better, being considered “low capacity.”

High child care costs and low availability persist throughout the state, with families with low and middling incomes having the fewest options for care. Supply is concentrated in areas with high median incomes and housing values, where residents can more often afford to pay fees. Communities made vulnerable by lower incomes and disinvestment, often due to racial segregation or geographic isolation, tend to have lower supply.

But, as awareness has grown on the importance of child care, so has the investment.

In 2021, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and policymakers stepped up with a historic $1.4 billion investment in child care. This funding will expand access to child care, making 105,000 more children eligible for low- or no-cost care and increasing rates and issuing stabilization and startup grants for child care providers.

Gov. Whitmer also announced this week that the MI Tri-Share Child Care Pilot Program will be expanding to seven new facilitator hubs in pilot regions across Michigan. That expansion includes the Otsego County Economic Alliance Inc. as a new facilitator hub to serve Otsego, Crawford, Ogemaw, Roscommon, Oscoda, and Montmorency counties.

The League was involved in the development of Tri-Share, which is an innovative public-private partnership through which the cost of child care is shared equally by an eligible employee, his or her employer, and the state. Each facilitator hub serves as an intermediary between employers, families, and child care providers and provides overall program management.

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation recently invested $800,000 to help fund further expansion of Tri-Share, and, in her 2023 state budget proposal unveiled last week, the governor included $2.5 million to continue support for the program.

A new report from the Michigan League for Public Policy, Kids Count in Michigan, and Think Babies Michigan also draws attention to the challenges facing the early childhood workforce.

The report recommends that the state improve its data collection on the early childhood workforce, develop a strategy to improve the pay for workers, and create a career pipeline that increases chances for training, credentialing, and career advancement.

Policymakers, state officials and child care advocates are working to address those needs, as well. The 2022 state budget funding for child care included money for one-time, $1,000 bonus to child care workers. The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, Michigan Works! and Great Start to Quality are also hosting Childcare Virtual Job Fairs this February, including one for the northern Lower Peninsula on Feb. 23 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Better access, improved affordability and a valued and stable workforce are all key to a better child care system.

Investment in child care benefits parents, child care workers and providers, businesses, and communities. And high-quality child care helps lay the foundation for success, helping kids now and in the future.

Policymakers have made great strides in recognizing the importance of child care and increasing investment. The League and our partners will keep working to build on that momentum and advocate for child care supports that better serve the Alpena area and Michigan as a whole.

Alex Rossman is external affairs director at the Michigan League for Public Policy.