FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 8, 2022

Contact: [email protected]

Gov. Whitmer Highlights Bipartisan Budget Investments in Working Families, Connected Communities

Budget will honor those who served, build up infrastructure, and fund critical local projects

LANSING, Mich. — Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer highlighted investments in working families and connected communities in the recently passed bipartisan budget for Fiscal Year 2023. The budget delivers additional resources to communities across Michigan to help them invest in first responders, speeds up replacement of lead service lines, builds a new veteran’s home, shores up pensions for municipal workers, and invests in infrastructure. The fiscally-responsible, balanced budget delivers on the kitchen-table issues, was passed on time, and does not raise taxes by a dime.

“Since day one, I have been focused on delivering on the kitchen-table issues that matter most to working families,” said Governor Gretchen Whitmer. “The budget makes critical investments in working families and communities to help them thrive. It will deliver more funds to local communities helping them invest in police officers and firefighters, speeds up replacement of lead service lines, and reduces congestion at local rail crossings. The budget also delivers on critical community projects, funding the construction of a new veteran’s home in Marquette, modernizing Michigan’s armories, and upgrading Selfridge Airforce Base in Macomb County. Finally, the budget keeps promises made to hardworking municipal employees, shoring up their pensions. This budget is proof of what’s possible when we put working families and communities first and stay focused on getting things done.”

Families & Communities Budget Investments

There are three key areas of the budget that invests in families and communities.

1) Honoring Those Who Serve

To ensure those who served have the support they need, the budget funds construction of a new veteran’s home in Marquette, backs a suicide prevention outreach campaign, and shores up the pensions of MSP troopers. To honor the memory of those we have lost, it establishes a veteran’s ceremony in Grayling.

2) Building Up Infrastructure

The budget expands on the investments in the bipartisan Building Michigan Together Plan signed in April by speeding up replacement of lead service lines, reducing traffic congestion at local rail crossings, improving state fish hatcheries, and funding long-overdue maintenance projects at state facilities.

3) Funding Critical Local Projects

The budget will make critical improvements to Selfridge Air Force Base in Macomb County, invest in Innovate Mound, a transformative project to rebuild Mound Road, one of the most important corridors in Southeast Michigan, and fund modernize Michigan’s armories, shoring up our readiness and supporting local construction jobs.

“Michigan’s allocation of $750M dollars to municipal pensions throughout the state is a major victory for Flint and for the entire state,” said Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley. “These dollars will guarantee the availability of funds to pay retirees who have readily served our communities with pride and dignity. In Flint and Genesee County, these funds will help to strengthen our region and empower communities across the great state of Michigan, and it is all due to our fearless leader—Governor Gretchen Whitmer.”

“The building on Fisher Street has been a home to Upper Peninsula veterans for 41 years, with the staff and volunteers making it a true home,” said Brad Slagle, Board of Directors, Michigan Veterans Homes. “Now that tradition can be continued in a new building with a modern design that provides five-star care and with the same loving care.”

“Michigan has some of the nation’s best citizen Soldiers and Airmen. We are thankful for the governor and the state legislatures’ work to include money to provide for Armory. This $100M will help our warriors have the best facilities to conduct home station training, while also investing into local communities across Michigan,” said Jeffrey Frisby, Executive Director of the National Guard Association of Michigan. “As our local armories have aged, they no longer can house the true demographics of the force. The number of females serving in the National Guard has greatly increased over the last 100 years, but the armories were not constructed with the female warrior in mind. Some of our current facilities do not have female bathrooms, showers, or locker rooms.  These funds will be used to update and adapt local armories to better serve the Guardsmen in those units.  Our Guardsmen are being asked to serve in missions across the world, these modernizations will give them a building that they are proud to come home to.”

“The budget approved by the Legislature and Governor makes significant investment in the people of Michigan and the places they call home,” said Michigan Municipal League Board President Barbara Ziarko, Sterling Heights city councilmember. “With specific investments in revenue sharing, assistance for municipal pensions, and other programs that help local communities, this budget will bring needed relief, and improve capacity moving forward. This budget builds on the positive momentum of previous investments in our communities. There remains opportunity going forward to equitably invest those remaining resources to ensure Michigan is an attractive place for talent and supports thriving communities in ways that benefit everyone.”

“We applaud Governor Whitmer, and the Legislature, for their recognition in the state’s historic budget of the immense value and importance that Michigan’s townships and other communities have in the lives of every resident in our state,” said Michigan Townships Association Executive Director Neil Sheridan. “The increase in City, Village and Township Revenue Sharing, along with investments in new grant opportunities for communities for lead line replacement, will help local governments to better provide quality of life and essential services to Michiganders today, and in the future, and continue to improve the places we all call home.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 28, 2022

Contact: [email protected] 

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

• Total bonuses awarded:

• $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.