Lansing —Continuing to lead the way on fixing Michigan’s child care system, Representative Kelly Breen celebrated House passage of House Bill 5043 which would expand services and supports for at home child care providers. The bill was part of a child care package that made needed changes to the child care system and follows the historic $1.5 billion investments in child care signed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
“Home day care providers fill an essential caregiver role for thousands of Michigan families,” said state Rep. Kelly Breen (D-Novi), sponsor of House Bill 5043. “There is a critical day care shortage, especially for families with infants or toddlers. Home providers offer the same excellent care as a regular day care center but with fewer staff members. This bill will simplify some of the red tape home day care providers need to traverse to be in compliance with state regulations and allow them to return their focus to taking care of the kids. I am proud that both sides of the aisle were dedicated to joining together for the good of the people.”
The bills come after Representative Breen served on the Governor’s task force on child care that highlighted the following needs for Michigan’s child care system:
The Governor’s Task Force’s bill package takes on regulatory and organizational issues by:
- Giving providers time to comply with new health and safety rules by allowing a 90-day grace period during implementation.
- Helping providers locate where families live and work by giving child care providers a safe path to locate in multi-use buildings.
- Reducing the burden on providers by allowing their health and safety records to be shared with parents online.
- Letting quality and caring providers thrive by cracking down on bad actors who try to game the system and get out of regulations.
- Improving quality of and access to quality infant/toddler care by allowing a contract model that covers the cost of care.
- Helping expand and support family child care providers by creating Family Child Care Networks.
- Allowing increased ratios for family and group homes who have a proven record of success.
House Bill 5043 and the other bills in package now head to the Michigan State Senate.
