Governor hears from Flint community about preschool needs ahead of budget being approved

Written by Tanya Terry On Wednesday, Feb. 8, Governor Gretchen Whitmer released her fifth executive budget recommendation. She suggested providing up to a $3,000 refundable tax credit to childcare and preschool teachers. She had also been advocating for pre-K for all of Michigan’s 4-year-olds. If the plan she put forward...

Governor hears from Flint community about preschool needs ahead of budget being approved

Written by Tanya Terry

On Wednesday, Feb. 8, Governor Gretchen Whitmer released her fifth executive budget recommendation. She suggested providing up to a $3,000 refundable tax credit to childcare and preschool teachers. She had also been advocating for pre-K for all of Michigan’s 4-year-olds. If the plan she put forward during her 2023 State of the State address to make this possible is accepted, it would save families $10,000 a year and potentially put all 110,000 4-year-olds in Michigan on a path to a brighter future. Whitmer’s recommendation was to put $257.3 million toward the goal of offering universal preschool to all of Michigan’s 4-year-olds.

Whitmer had been holding roundtables across the state. She recalled how one family shared with her how childcare was their second-highest expense. She said the family’s number one expense, their house payment, was very close to being the same amount as the family’s childcare expense.

On Tuesday, Feb. 7, Whitmer took part in a roundtable discussion with parents and educators at a roundtable at Educare in Flint to discuss the issues most affecting them ahead of her executive budget recommendation.

Ja’Nel Jamerson is executive director of Educare Flint. Jamerson asked those present for the Flint roundtable to share with Whitmer and the other participants about their children’s experience with pre-K, or about the pre-K experiences of the children they serve. He also asked participants to share with the others present how access to high-quality programs has helped their children or the children of families they serve.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer with Ja’Nel Jamerson, executive director for Educare Flint.

Flint Resident Ashley Strozier is the mother of four children. She also works at Communities First, Inc. as the family mobility coordinator. Strozier older children participated in GISD Head Start, went to the Flint Community Schools and were transferred to the Flint Cultural Center. Strozier also has a 3-year-old and a 1-year-old. She explained her 1-year-old was born prematurely.

“That’s why we were able to be enrolled at Cummings,” Strozier said.

Strozier understands not every parent is able to give their children these opportunities.

“A lot of times they’re out of the income guidelines,” Strozier gave as another reason parents sometimes don’t have access to childcare.

Strozier talked about how kids in pre-K now are reading and are on a “whole structured schedule.”

“It’s not look at the shape or let’s sing a pretty song.”

From Strozier’s observation, pre-K is hard for children of parents who did not have access to early childhood education.

However, Strozier explained how her older children have succeeded in the midst of the Flint Water Crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. Their grades didn’t drop.

“With all the things our kids are expected to learn now, we have to start even earlier so that when they get to pre-K, they’re actually ready to get in that mindset of learning to read.”

Another attendee, who said she been working as a teacher, stated she stayed home instead of sending her third child to childcare because childcare was not affordable enough for her family.

One parent of a 6-year-old child pointed out one high-quality tuition-based pre-K was $300 a week to attend.

“So, if you add that up, it’s a second mortgage payment,” she said.

Sharonda Love-Wilson, whose daughter is now in 5th grade, attended The Early Child Learning Center at Mott Community College. Love-Wilson was introduced to the center as an adult student. With a grant Mott offered her, Love-Wilson said she only had to pay $17 a week for childcare at the time. Love-Wilson said staff at the Early Child Learning Center still remember her daughter.

“Because of the Early Child Learning Center, she is very articulate,” Love-Wilson said.

She said her daughter is able to express any complaints she has without being angry.

“I’m grateful for the Early Child Learning Center at Mott because they groomed her to be who she is today,” added Love-Wilson.

Susan Lechota, director of the Mott Community College Early Childhood Learning Center (MCC ECLC), pointed out having access to childcare increases the chances of students finishing their degree programs.

Sharonda Love-Wilson (left) and Susan Lechota, director of the Mott Community College Early Childhood Learning Center (right)

Former State Senator Jim Ananich, who is now serving as president and CEO of the Genesee County Health Coalition, was present at the roundtable discussion. Ananich explained one of the programs offered through the Genesee County Health Coalition is called Flint Healthcare Employment Opportunities.

“We help people get jobs in healthcare, and one of the biggest issues we have to deal with is access to quality childcare,” said Ananich. “We can help if someone’s car breaks down. We can try to help with childcare, but it’s so expensive. The organization cannot afford to do it ourselves.”

Some parents said they appreciated childcare support from grandparents. However, some of these parents also said they would like to receive more educational support than grandparents are at times able to offer.

“Consider a spectrum,” one participant advised Whitmer and other elected officials.

“Income, lives—it’s all a spectrum,” the participant added.

Whitmer told the Courier families across the state need more support so their kids can get the preparation they need to be lifelong learners and have long-term success.

Whitmer also said as more resources are put into childcare, she expects to see more people pursuing small businesses to meet the need in those areas lacking daycare options.

Whitmer pointed out her budget recommendation is only a step towards getting things done.

“The budget is my recommendation, and then the Legislature starts their way, and they will debate, and they will make changes,” Whitmer said. “So, I encourage all of you to make your voices heard. You don’t want to assume that your state rep and your state senator knows where you’re at and what’s important to you.”