The Michigan House of Representatives passed a budget that could put hundreds of child care providers out of business. And it would jeopardize access to quality preschool for many disadvantaged families who need it most. This is despite the state’s claim that parents need greater access to pre-K.

A provision in the House budget would remove the requirement that at least 30% of Great Start Readiness Program funds be allocated to certain community-based organizations that provide early education services. These include private nonprofits, federal Head Start programs and other community child care providers. These providers enroll nearly 20% of Michigan’s four-year-old preschoolers.

These providers can often lower their tuition costs and be more accessible for low-income families because of their Great Start Readiness Program partnership. They give parents a greater variety of child care options and flexibility than their local school-based programs might. Low-income families would be most affected if the private providers in their communities had to raise their tuition or close their doors.

The House’s budget recommendation prompted nearly 1,200 residents and organizations across the state to send a letter to Michigan legislators expressing their disapproval. The letter reads:

“The exclusion of nonprofit, Head Start, and local community child care and education providers from Michigan's GSRP PreK program threatens irreparable harm to small businesses, many of which are operated by women, particularly women of color. By effectively barring community-based early care and education organizations from participating in GSRP, these policy changes risk destabilizing the child care sector.”

The budget recommendation also runs counter to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s PreK for All Roadmap, the strategic plan for rolling out universal preschool in Michigan. It claims the state can only meet the “diverse needs” of Michigan families by “ensuring ... [community-based organizations] are supported.” The letter highlights this fact and asserts, “The changes reverse years of progress made towards building a comprehensive mixed-delivery system that provides families with options that best meet their needs.”

According to the PreK for All Roadmap, community-based organizations and private providers “can be part of an immediate solution” to grow capacity and bring the governor’s universal preschool plan to fruition. By partnering with Great Start Readiness Program, these providers can help the state meet the governor’s goal of enrolling 32,000 more children and adding 1,700 more classrooms. The Roadmap’s strategies were drafted after consultation with residents, educators and child care providers across the state. But the House budget provision would have consequences that run counter to the recommendations that resulted from these stakeholder collaborations.

Removing this requirement of preschool funding would put trusted and established community-based providers out of business. It might lead to a government monopoly on preschool programs, which would reduce options for families. And it would mean fewer childcare options for families whose needs aren’t being met by the conventional Great Start Readiness Program settings.

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