Michigan is facing well-documented and widely acknowledged crises in K-12 education, childcare, and persistent poverty. Too many children enter kindergarten already behind. (Hence, our name MIKidsReady.) Too many families cannot find or afford childcare. Too many early educators earn wages that make it impossible to stay in the profession. And too many communities continue to experience generational poverty without a pathway out. Michigan’s K-12 education system is ranked 42nd among other states.
Despite years of reports, task forces, and pilot programs, Michigan still lacks a comprehensive, statewide solution capable of addressing these challenges at their roots. One reason is that public policies and funding priorities often change as legislatures and administrations change. Programs are expanded, reduced, redesigned, or replaced before families, providers, educators, and communities can fully benefit from them. This uncertainty makes long-term planning difficult and discourages the investment needed to build and sustain a high-quality early childhood system.
MIKidsReady believes that Michigan’s children, families, providers and educators deserve more than temporary programs and shifting priorities. They deserve a stable, long-term commitment that transcends political cycles and provides families, educators, and providers with confidence in the future. For that reason, we believe the citizens of Michigan should have the opportunity to establish universal Early Childhood Education and Care as a constitutional responsibility of the state, creating a durable foundation upon which future generations can build.
Thus, our purpose is to urge citizens to initiate and adopt a constitutional amendment which will bring Michigan together around a bold, evidence-based system: Universal Early Childhood Education and Care (UECEC—pronounced yoo-sek for short).
The following principles reflect our vision for a Michigan where every child has the opportunity to thrive from birth, every family has access to the support they need, and every community benefits from the educational and economic advantages of a strong early childhood system.
Ten Principles of MIKidsReady
⭐ Healthy Beginnings
Every mother deserves access to quality prenatal and postnatal care so that she is healthy, supported, and thriving, and her child is born healthy, nurtured, and ready to succeed. Michigan’s current RX Kids program demonstrates how this can be achieved.
🍎 Education from Birth
Learning begins at birth. The years from birth through age four are the most critical period of brain development, and every child deserves a strong foundation for lifelong learning.
🙂 Universal Education-Focused Childcare Access
Affordable, high-quality, education-focused childcare must be available statewide, year-round, from birth through age eight. This investment is essential to attracting and retaining the young families who will build Michigan’s future.
👨👩👧 Parental Choice & Flexibility
Families with children aged 0 to 3 (infants and toddlers) should have the flexibility, supported by financial assistance, to choose the care arrangement that best meets their needs. Parents should be able to provide care themselves, compensate a family member or caregiver, or purchase reduced work hours from their employer. A graduated stipend, up to $1,000 per month for families earning under $100,000 annually, illustrates how such a program could be structured.
❤️ Excellence for Educators
Children thrive when educators thrive. High-quality programs require well-trained professionals, living wages, and research-based learning practices that foster curiosity, engagement, and healthy development.
👩👧 Jobs with Dignity
Michigan should seize this opportunity to create thousands of professional, family-supporting careers while fostering small business growth and entrepreneurship, expanding economic opportunity for communities across the state, particularly for women and young adults entering the workforce.
🏛️ Stable, Dedicated Funding
A sustainable funding model can ensure affordability, with families paying no more than $15 per day, while sharing responsibility among parents, employers, and high-income earners making a fair investment in Michigan’s future. Canada has demonstrated the feasibility of this plan.
🗳️ Confidence in Michigan Citizens
Michigan voters have repeatedly demonstrated their willingness to support constitutional amendments for causes that matter. Investing in our children and strengthening families is among the most important investments we can make, and one worthy of their support.
🧭 No Family Left Behind
Programs that support mothers, children, and families can only succeed when people know they exist and can easily access them. Michigan should provide clear information, coordinated outreach, and family navigation services that help parents understand what programs are available, when to enroll, and how to qualify, so that every eligible family receives the support they need.
🏗️ Provider Development and Support
Universal access requires universal capacity. Michigan must support the creation, expansion, and long-term success of high-quality Early Childhood Education and Care providers, including family education and child care homes, centers, school-based programs, and community organizations. Public policy should provide access to financing, facilities, licensing assistance, workforce development, business management support, and technical resources that help providers thrive. A strong, diverse, and sustainable network of providers is essential to ensuring that every child and family can access high-quality educational childcare in every region of Michigan.
MIKidsReady’s Mission
MIKidsReady exists to assemble clear data, elevate evidence of Michigan’s challenges and opportunities, and identify a realistic plan to move forward.
