A happy father and child

Many families struggle to find affordable, high-quality care for their children when they go to work or school. With the aim of supporting these Michigan families, the Child Development and Care assistance program, administered by the Michigan Department of Education (MDE), helps low-income families to afford this much-needed child care.

Public Policy Associates, Inc. (PPA) has been selected to conduct Michigan’s next Child Care Market Rate Study for the MDE.  This research is required under the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act and helps the state to determine provider payment rates for the program.

“Quality child care is crucial to children’s development and to the peace of mind of parents,” said Colleen Graber, who is the PPA project director for the study. “It is important to know the true costs of providing quality care in order to set fair payment rates and support access to care.”

For the study, PPA will survey licensed child care providers to determine the prices they charge based on the type of care, location, the age of the child, and the provider’s Great Start to Quality star rating. The study will also examine the provider costs to provide quality care, including meeting health and safety standards, and will identify any barriers that may prevent providers from accepting children with subsidies.

PPA also conducted the state’s 2017 Child Care Market Rate Study.  For more information about PPA’s work on child care issues, contact Ms. Graber at cgraber@publicpolicy.com.