The child care system is not working for families in the Detroit and Wayne County area. There is a lack of access to child care that meets parents’ wants and needs. There are not enough licensed child care slots for all of the children needing care in the region. Child care slots for the youngest children are particularly hard to come by and most providers do not offer nonstandard hours of care such as overnight, weekend, and drop-in hourly care. Furthermore, many families have a hard time affording the care that is available in the region.
The reasons for the lack of access to child care are complex. Many child care educators receive low compensation that does not cover their basic living expenses. Low compensation contributes to child care businesses facing challenges with recruiting and retaining staff. However, child care businesses are already spending most of their revenue on staffing. Increasing tuition to be able to pay staff more is not a viable strategy because many families already struggle to pay.
Child care businesses (or potential businesses) also face barriers to develop or expand child care and early education facilities. These barriers include local ordinances and municipal policy as well as a lack of access to capital. The implications of a child care system that is not working for families are far ranging. When families do not have adequate child care, it makes it difficult for them to work. This results in great financial hardships for families and results in employers facing barriers to recruiting and retaining the workforce that they need.
To address the identified root causes of the child care challenges in the Detroit and Wayne County region, the Regional Child Care Planning Coalition has prioritized key action strategies that create efficiencies and cost saving within the existing system, and work to bring in more funding and investment by changing the way our current child care system functions and operates and partnering with sectors that have not traditionally been advocates on child care issues.
You can read more in the summary and report below.
