Michigan steps up with stipends for the teachers who shape a child’s first five years

Editor’s note: This story is part of Southwest Michigan Second Wave’s On the Ground Battle Creek series.

CALHOUN, CO. — The thriving adults we see today likely had someone in their first five years who fought to make sure they received the Early Childhood Education (ECE) they needed for healthy brain development. 

Those ECE professionals who work with young children know the importance of their job is not reflected in the wages they are paid, says Maria Ortiz Borden, Co-Executive Director of Pulse.

This is an issue the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP) and the Gogebic-Ontonagon Intermediate School District (GOISD) are addressing with the launch of the $16 million Early Childhood Educator Wage Initiative, a pilot effort.

The initiative will provide monthly stipends — $200 for part-time and $300 for full-time teachers and assistant teachers — while supporting regional efforts to address workforce challenges and strengthen long-term wage stability for early educators, according to a press release from MiLEAP.

ECE professionals in Calhoun County are among those who will receive these stipends through the initiative. Grant recipients represent nine regions in Michigan, which were formed in 2023 to “address the child care crisis through community-based, cross-sector solutions and expand access to quality, affordable child care for working families,” says information on the Early Childhood Investment Corporation’s website.

Calhoun County is part of Region 8, which will receive $1.6 million. Half of this money will be shared equally by the counties within Region 8 – Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Kalamazoo, and St. Joseph. The remainder will be distributed through an application process.

Borden says they’re developing the process for every licensed center and home provider in Region 8 to apply for the remaining $900,000. Calhoun County has 93 licensed providers, with Kalamazoo having 267, the largest number in Region 8.

“We have a short turnaround,” she says. “We’ll be working quickly to make stipends in 2026. Each community is a little bit different. We want to make sure we take that into account. If the community has fewer slots available for children, maybe they’ll use the money to stabilize their workforce or recruit and retain staff. We need to figure out what these businesses are struggling with to retain and attract staff.”

The pilot is designed to encourage coalitions to leverage additional public-private contributions that support sustainable, increased compensation for early childhood educators across Michigan, says the MiLEAP press release.

“Michigan’s youngest learners benefit most when supported by skilled, stable, and fairly compensated educators,” says Dr. Beverly Walker-Griffea, director of MiLEAP.  “Through the Wage Initiative, we’re investing directly in the people who power early learning and helping to build a stronger, more sustainable system where every early educator can have a lasting and rewarding career here in Michigan.”

ECE’s in Calhoun County make an average of $13.88 per hour. Borden says this is below the hourly pay for fast-food workers, some of whom make above what an ECE is paid.

“This is not a livable wage,” she says. “Some of them have the same credentials as a teacher and make the decision to go where they can earn more and have better benefits.”

The recently announced initiative is part of MiLEAP’s broader strategy to support Michigan’s early learning system by addressing key barriers such as low compensation, limited career pathways, and high turnover that affect the quality and consistency of early learning experiences nationally, the press release says.

The wage initiative will run through September 2027, with grantees responsible for recruiting child care businesses and professionals in their region, distributing funds to eligible early childhood educators, collecting data for evaluation, and supporting continuous quality improvement at the local level.

“By investing directly in early childhood educators and building public-private partnerships, Michigan is strengthening its child care system, supporting families and securing the foundation of our state’s future workforce,” according to the MiLEAP press release.

A lack of childcare access in Michigan has been found to dramatically inhibit labor participation, especially for women, single parents, and young families, according to Michigan State University Researchers. They found that when families live further from a licensed childcare provider in Michigan, they are significantly less likely to participate in the workforce.

“For every additional mile a family lives away from a provider, it is linked to an almost 3% decrease in labor force participation among women, over a 2% decrease among two-parent households, and nearly a 2% decrease among single-parent households,” Researchers say. “There are dramatic economic implications, as childcare-related disruptions cost the state almost $3 billion annually, with employers having to front most of the economic losses.”

“As a result, there are important policy considerations to invest in more childcare infrastructure, childcare planning, and employer solutions and incentives.”

Borden says without these types of investments, parents and caregivers are either not working or doing piecemeal work because they aren’t able to find safe, affordable, quality childcare.

In Calhoun County, there is one childcare slot available for 1.8 children. At the same time, childcare businesses are struggling to keep their operations going so that slots are available for families to take their children so they can go to work.

“We almost have two children for every one slot,” Borden says. “This is an industry that’s under-resourced. The state is trying to figure out ways to subsidize wages for those going into the early learning/childcare space. 

“For someone who needs the same credentials as a kindergarten teacher, but isn’t receiving the same wages or benefits, these folks are making decisions about leaving the industry. Childcare workers and staff are really at the heart of making sure our little ones have the best starts.”