by Becky Andrus | Jun 29, 2022 | Regional News
Gov. Whitmer Delivers $1,000 Bonuses to Nearly 38,000 Childcare Professionals
5,500+ childcare providers receiving $368 million in grants to provide $1,000 staff bonuses and keep childcare facilities open for Michigan families
LANSING, Mich. – Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer continued her commitment to expand access to quality, affordable childcare for Michigan families by awarding $368 million in grants to childcare programs across the state. Over 5,500 childcare programs received funding through the second round of the Child Care Stabilization Grant. These funds will keep programs open for business and provide $1,000 bonuses for full-time staff.
“Michigan thrives when every family has access to quality, affordable childcare that meets their needs,” said Governor Gretchen Whitmer. “I worked across the aisle to secure a historic investment in childcare—including grants to stabilize and strengthen the childcare industry and bonuses for childcare professionals. Thanks to the Child Care Stabilization Grant, over 5,500 childcare programs can keep their doors open, hire more qualified professionals, and continue to improve supports for kids and families. All our kids deserve a strong start. These grants are another investment in their future and our state’s prosperity.”
“As a father, I know the importance of having skilled, childcare professionals to care for our children. That’s why Governor Whitmer and I continue to fight to pay childcare professionals a living wage,” said Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II. “These bonuses are a small step toward our bigger goals to improve compensation for childcare professionals and support childcare entrepreneurs—all while keeping care affordable for working families.”
These grants were part of a bipartisan budget Governor Whitmer signed that included game-changing investments in childcare and delivered on the kitchen-table issues that matter most to families, communities, and small businesses.
Grants were awarded to licensed centers, group homes, family homes, and tribal childcare providers. Funds may be used to lower tuition costs for families, increase compensation for early educators, recruit and train new staff members, improve learning environments, and more.
“The Child Care Stabilization Grants have uplifted the morale of the center. Staff and families are feeling heard and seen,” said Nawal Alsaeed, associate director of Kreative Kids Learning Center in Inkster. “Our staff is feeling recognized and validated and they are motivated to continue in the field of early childhood. Two staff members have gone back to school and are earning degrees in education. I have another two staff members who have registered for CDA credentials. These funds will be the catalyst to continued growth of child care businesses.”
“Thanks to this grant we were able to give our staff bonuses and upgrade our facility with an emphasis on safety and accessibility,” said Jeff and Yvette Fredricks, owners and operators of a group home in Saginaw. “We were also able to provide our families with peace of mind by providing relief in case of unexpected times and unforeseen circumstances by way of our ‘Parent Forgiveness Grant Fund’ — which helped families pay their tuition balance when times were tough.”
“I have been running a quality, caring, and loving in-home daycare for 26 years. I have been through many life challenges and changes through the years with some very hard moments. I have always kept my program going without taking sick days and rarely time off,” said Shari Marceau owner and operator of Shari’s Early Learning Center, a home-based childcare in Marquette. “I am extremely thankful for this money! I feel this is my first bonus in this career.”
“These grants have been a critical lifeline to providers who are fighting to stay in business and serve families and children throughout Michigan,” said Lisa Brewer Walraven, director of Child Development and Care in the Office of Great Start at the Michigan Department of Education (MDE). “It has been our privilege to provide this ongoing support to the operational costs of childcare providers and ensure those who are working in the programs are supported and recognized for the important value of the work they do.”
The Child Care Stabilization Grant is a non-competitive grant for childcare programs to help stabilize operations and support the health and safety of children and staff. Eligible licensed childcare programs applied for funding in spring 2022.
- Total grant awards: 5,544
- Average awards:
- Family home program: $11,394
- Group home program: $21,775
- Childcare center: $120,664
- $1,000 to 25,756 full time staff members
- $500 to 12,207 part time staff members
Staff in the Michigan Department of Education’s Office of Child Development and Care worked diligently with the support of partners across the state to manage and process the grants to ensure that all eligible childcare providers were able to apply for and receive the funds as quickly as possible. Additional information about the program is available at Michigan.gov/childcare.
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by Becky Andrus | Jun 28, 2022 | Regional News
Oakland County Health Division Offers COVID-19 Vaccine for All Eligible Ages
- Doses for 6-month-old to 5-year-old residents available at Oakland County Health Division beginning Wednesday.
- Oakland County Health Division Medical Director Dr. Russell Faust encourages parents and guardians to get the COVID vaccine for their children before they begin school.
Pontiac, Michigan – COVID-19 vaccine for children 6 months to 5 years old will be available at Oakland County Health Division clinics in Pontiac and Southfield beginning Wednesday, June 22, after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) approved emergency use authorization for these doses over the weekend. Appointments are encouraged, but walk-ins are welcome. To make an appointment, visit OaklandCountyVaccine.com or call the Oakland County Nurse on Call hotline at 800-848-5533.
“Oakland County parents will have many options where they can vaccinate their children to protect them against COVID,” Oakland County Health Officer Calandra Green said. “The Health Division is among hundreds of providers throughout the county administering COVID vaccine to our youngest residents including pediatricians, Federally Qualified Health Centers, and other locations beginning this week.”
When the CDC authorized emergency use of the pediatric dose (ages 5-12 years old) of COVID vaccine, a majority of Oakland County parents and guardians opted to have their children receive the vaccine at a pediatric or other private or non-profit clinic setting.
Oakland County Health Division Medical Director Dr. Russell Faust encourages parents and guardians to get the COVID vaccine for their children this summer.
“COVID-19 vaccines have undergone extensive safety monitoring,” Faust said. “All children should get vaccinated, especially before we begin the new school year in September.”
Oakland County has about 66,000 residents ages 6 months to 5 years old.
Contact your doctor or local pharmacy prior to visiting to determine vaccine availability. Doses for all ages are available at the North Oakland Health Center, 1200 N Telegraph, Building 34E, in Pontiac and the South Oakland Health Center, 27725 Greenfield Rd., in Southfield from 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday – Friday. For more information or to register for an appointment, go to OaklandCountyVaccine.com
by Becky Andrus | Jun 27, 2022 | Health and Wellness
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Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 23, 2022
CONTACT: Chelsea Wuth, 517-241-2112, [email protected]
First mosquito-borne virus of 2022 detected in Michigan mosquitoes
Residents urged to protect against mosquito bites
LANSING, Mich. – Mosquitoes recently collected in Bay County have tested positive for Jamestown Canyon virus (JCV) at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Bureau of Laboratories (MDHHS BOL). These are the first infected mosquito pools detected for 2022. Residents are reminded that the best way to protect themselves against JCV and other mosquito-borne illnesses, including Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) and West Nile virus (WNV), is to prevent mosquito bites.
Every summer in Michigan, bites from mosquitoes carry the risk of spreading diseases to people and animals. JCV sickened six Michiganders in 2021. Also reported last year were 46 cases of WNV and one case of EEE. Seven of the WNV cases resulted in death.
The JCV virus is spread to people through bites from infected mosquitoes. Most cases occur from late spring through mid-fall. Illness can develop within a few days to two weeks following a bite from an infected mosquito. While most people do not become ill, initial symptoms can include fever, headache and fatigue. In rare cases, it can cause severe disease in the brain and/or spinal cord including encephalitis and meningitis.
“It only takes one bite from an infected mosquito to cause a severe illness,” said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, MDHHS chief medical executive. “We urge Michiganders to take precautions such as using an EPA-registered insect repellent when outdoors, avoiding areas where mosquitoes are present if possible, and wearing clothing to cover arms and legs to prevent bites.”
While the JCV is found throughout much of the U.S., cases have been increasing in the Midwest. This likely reflects increased awareness and testing, but may also be due to an increase in the presence of the virus in the environment. This is the second year that the MDHHS BOL is offering virus testing of mosquito pools collected by local health departments and county mosquito control programs. Testing is offered to improve detection and notification of mosquito-borne viruses.
JCV can be spread by mosquitoes that become infected when they feed on deer or other animals that have the virus in their blood. Infected mosquitoes spread the virus to other animals or people through bites. Arboviruses including WNV and EEE spread when mosquitoes contract the virus from biting infected birds then biting a human.
Residents can stay healthy by using simple, effective strategies to protect themselves and their families. The following steps are recommended to avoid mosquito-borne diseases:
- Apply insect repellents that contain the active ingredient DEET, or other EPA-approved products to exposed skin or clothing. Always follow the manufacturer’s directions for use.
- Wear light-colored, long-sleeved shirts and long pants when outdoors. Apply insect repellent to clothing to help prevent bites.
- Maintain window and door screening to help keep mosquitoes outside.
- Empty water from mosquito breeding sites around the home, such as buckets, unused kiddie pools, old tires or similar sites where mosquitoes lay eggs.
For more information, visit Michigan.gov/EmergingDiseases. |
by Becky Andrus | Jun 27, 2022 | Transportation
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Extreme speeds during the pandemic captures police attention
In response to a dramatic increase in speeding drivers beginning with the pandemic stay-at-home advisories in 2020 and continuing now, traffic safety experts and law enforcement officials are working to understand the behavior.
On this week’s edition of the Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, Carol Flannagan, director of the Center for Management of Information for Safe and Sustainable Transportation (CMISST) at the University of Michigan (UM) and research professor at UM’s Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI), talks about her research and theories about the epidemic of speeding and other risky behavior.
Listen now: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1374205/10830605-extreme-speeds-during-the-pandemic-captures-police-attention
This comes as the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are once again partnering on a regional traffic safety campaign. As noted in their news release: “As part of the ‘Great Lakes, High Stakes’ campaign, dozens of municipal, county and Michigan State Police (MSP) law enforcement agencies across Michigan will focus on speeding drivers between June 18 and 26.”
Among other topics, Flannagan talks about the challenging decisions for auto manufacturers in rolling out automated vehicle (AV) technology. She acknowledges that it’s much easier for AVs to communicate and predict what other vehicles will do rather than what humans will do.
She also discusses:
- Effectiveness of high-visibility enforcement and impacts on driver behavior.
- Crash stats. From 2011 to 2019, fatalities were flat, but in July 2020 the rate of speeding-related fatalities spiked.
- Frontal automatic emergency braking is effective, reducing frontal crashes by 50 percent.
- Manufacturers have been shifting from warning systems for drivers to automatic systems, which is much more effective.
Also discussed, the resistance and challenges to acceptance of Advance Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and projections for broad adoption. Just this week, the NHTSA released data on the topic, but there are concerns about context.
And a reference to a supercut video of Elon Musk predicting the timeframe for broad deployment of AV technology.
Podcast photo: Carol A. Flannagan, Ph.D., Research Professor, University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI).
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by Becky Andrus | Jun 27, 2022 | Regional News
Governor Whitmer Signs Bills to Lower Health Care Costs and Increase Public Safety, Among Other Legislation
LANSING, Mich. — On Friday, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed six bipartisan bills — House Bills 4173, 4799, 4800, 5659, and 5660 and Senate Bill 447 — bringing the total of bipartisan bills signed by Governor Whitmer to 865.
“I am proud to sign six bipartisan bills,” said Governor Whitmer. “Since I took office, I have signed 865 bipartisan bills, and our record of effective collaboration will help us stay focused on growing Michigan’s economy, creating good-paying jobs, and lowering costs. Let’s continue to work together to get things done that put Michiganders first.”
Lowering Health Care Costs
Senate Bill 447 fosters more competitive health care pricing by increasing transparency surrounding costs and coverage. This bill requires an insurer to provide a large employer group customer with specific information about costs of its insurance plan upon request.
“Everyone knows insurance is a major cost in our lives. I’m glad the legislature and the Governor were able to support this change which can lead to greater transparency and lower insurance costs for the people of Michigan,” said state Senator Dan Lauwers (R-Brockway Township)
Senate Bill 447 was sponsored by Sen. Dan Lauwers, R – Brockway Township, and a copy can be found here.
Increasing Public Safety in Communities
House Bill 4173 will help communities stay safe by increasing the maximum allowable reward that county boards of commissions can offer and pay an individual for information that leads to the arrest or conviction of criminal suspects. Under previous law, the reward was limited to $2,000.
“This common sense law will improve public safety and help with criminal investigations. I’m grateful that this additional tool will be available to Michigan counties,” said state Representative Kara Hope (D-Holt)
House Bill 4173 was sponsored by Rep. Kara Hope, D – Holt, and a copy can be found here.
House Bill 4799 creates the Michigan Uniform Assignment of Rents Act (MUARA) which provides and regulates rights and responsibilities for renters, landlord-borrowers and creditors. House Bill 4799 was sponsored by Rep. Graham Filler, R – DeWitt, and a copy can be found here.
House Bill 4800 is tie-barred to House Bill 4799 and specifies that an action to enforce an assignment of rents under MUARA would not be an action to recover debt for the purposes of foreclosure.
“The work done on this bipartisan legislation will bring needed stability and clarity to our Uniform Assignment of Rent laws,” said state Representative Kyra Harris Bolden (D-Southfield).” I am proud to have worked across the aisle to revise outdated statue with common sense solutions that will benefit Michiganders.”
House Bill 4800 was sponsored by Rep. Kyra Harris Bolden, D – Southfield, and a copy can be found here.
Protecting Vulnerable Michiganders
House Bills 5659 and 5660 together increase transparency in adult care facilities and nursing home facilities by requiring reports containing feedback and input from inspectors of these facilities that are regulated by the Bureau of Community Health Systems.
House Bills 5659 and 5660 were sponsored by Rep. Jeff Yaroch, R – Richmond and can be found here and here.
