FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 12, 2022 Contact: [email protected]
Gov. Whitmer Encourages Childcare Providers to Apply for State Grant to Deliver $1,000 Bonuses to Staff By 5/26 Deadline Licensed programs have two weeks left to apply and receive funding for $1,000 staff bonuses and resources to keep their doors open, help get people back to work, and continue serving children
LANSING, Mich. — Today, Governor
“Childcare is essential to helping families, communities, and small businesses succeed, and childcare professionals and programs go above and beyond every day to care for our kids, helping them learn and grow in a safe environment,” said Governor Gretchen Whitmer. “Countless Michiganders rely on childcare to go to work knowing that their kids are safe. High-quality, affordable childcare uplifts working families and our kids. That’s why I was proud to work across the aisle to make game-changing investments in our childcare providers and professionals in the bipartisan budget I signed last September. Thanks to our bipartisan efforts, we have been delivering every childcare professional in Michigan a $1,000 bonus in recognition of their incredible sacrifices, expanding low or no-cost care to 105,000 kids, and helping providers improve
“Childcare professionals are essential. In recognition of the extraordinary role that childcare has played these past three years and will play in Michigan’s economic recovery, help is on the way,” said Dawne Bell, CEO of the Early Childhood Investment Corporation. “The Child Care Stabilization Grants are a critical boost for a crucial industry in our state. We want every eligible program to apply and receive these resources.”
“The Child Care Stabilization Grants are a significant investment in Michigan’s childcare infrastructure. These grants are sustaining thousands of small childcare business owners across the state, investing in the childcare workforce, and keeping costs lower for families,” said Jessica Savoie, Director of Early Childhood Services at the Eastern Upper Peninsula Intermediate School District. “These grants have kept the doors open in many rural areas where access and availability to licensed quality care is often scarce. The funding investment is crucial to our economy and the future of Michigan’s youngest learners.”
“The first round stabilization investments have been a game changer for the childcare sector,” said Chana Edmond-Verley, CEO at Vibrant Futures. “Providers are expressing appreciation and thanks for the unprecedented investment in their work through the Child Care Stabilization Grant. Family home providers, and center directors are certainly telling us these investments have been one of the keys to: staying in business, reopening doors, retaining talent, recapturing losses, and more importantly continuing to exercise the deep calling to do what they love—care for children. We’ve seen providers eager to take advantage of the promise round 2 holds for serving, nurturing, and supporting children—clearly the heart of all those who work in childcare.”
Child Care Stabilization Grant Information So far, nearly 3,400 programs have applied, and funding is still available. Licensed childcare providers should visit Michigan.gov/childcare to review frequently asked questions and apply. Translated versions of the grant documents are available in Arabic, Burmese, Chinese, Kinyarwanda, and Spanish.
Childcare professionals will be awarded bonuses directly from their employer and do not need to apply.
The application will close at 6:00 pm on Thursday, May 26th.
Delivering for Families These grants are part of a $1.4 billion investment to expand access to quality, affordable childcare and get Michigan families back to work. Childcare is often the largest expense in a family’s budget and one in three Michigan families are now eligible for free or low-cost childcare.
To qualify, families must:
Families can apply for childcare support by visiting MiBridges.Michigan. |
Childcare Providers to Apply for State Grant to Deliver $1,000 Bonuses
