Advocates: More money needed for child care in Whitmer’s budget before ‘crisis gets worse’

Nearly300parents,childcareworkersandotheradvocatesralliedinLansingatanannualEarlyChildhoodCapitolDayonWednesday.ThoughprovidersandadvocatessaidtheyweregratefulfortheearlychildhoodinvestmentsinWhitmer’sbudget,manywereinagreementthatitwasnotenough.OperatingchildcarecentersisexpensiveandMichiganisfallingbehindotherstatesbynotrecognizingtheinvestmentneededtosupportthecrucialbusinesses,earlychildhoodcommunitymemberssay.Manychildcareadvocatesandprovidersarefedupwithwhattheysayisthestate’slackofinvestmentinMichigan’searlychildhoodinfrastructureandtraveledtothecapitollastweektomeetwithlegislatorstodemandmorehelp. Nearly300parents,childcareworkersandotheradvocatesshowedupinLansingatanannualEarlyChildhoodCapitolDayonWednesday,withmanyhopingtopushGov.GretchenWhitmertoaddmorefundinginherproposedbudget. “It’stimetocomeupwithaplanrealquick,beforethe(childcare)crisisgetsworse,”saidAmy