Michigan faces an early childhood workforce crisis as educators and staff face poor pay, little room for advancement and a lack of public resources.

Confronting Michigan’s Early Childhood Workforce Crisis, a new report from the Michigan League for Public Policy (MLPP), Kids Count in Michigan and Think Babies Michigan, outlines these concerns and more. 

Data at a Glance

•    The median wage for child care workers in Michigan was $11.13 in 2019. 

•    Nearly 1 of every 5 early educators lives in poverty, and many are eligible for some form of public assistance.

•    Michigan child care teachers with bachelor’s degrees are being paid 22% less than their colleagues in the K-8 system, with nearly 1 in 5 having incomes below the poverty line.

“This is a crisis that is deep and that has become chronic,” Monique Stanton, president and CEO of MLPP said. “Early childhood is a crucial time—a time when children’s brains are developing faster than any other time in life—but our system doesn’t reflect that. The care and education of infants, toddlers and their families is often under prioritized, and the workers that provide care for these little Michiganders are woefully under compensated. We know that early intervention and care equate to benefits not only for children and their families, but for the state economy as a whole. It’s past time for Michigan to address this problem.”

The report explores workforce challenges in child care, home visiting and early intervention services.

Child Care

•    In a survey conducted between June and July 2021, 87% of child care centers indicated that they were experiencing staffing shortages that forced them to serve fewer children (49%). 

o    38% have a longer waitlist, 25% had to close classrooms and 28% had to reduce their operating hours. 

•    Despite the evidence that the greatest learning growth occurs in the first few years of life, teachers who work with younger children have fewer education requirements.

o    79% of teachers who work with preschool-aged children are more likely to have a bachelor’s degree compared to 53% who work with infants and toddlers. 

Home Visiting

Michigan provides home visiting services through eight evidence-based models, including nurse visits after a child’s birth and support for parent/child interactions by a family educator. Several workforce problems limit home visiting services.

•    31% of programs had a waiting list. 

•    22% had one or more full-time home visitor positions vacant, and 12% had part-time vacancies.

•    17% had a decrease in funding making it more difficult to hire enough staff. 

•    Only one-third of programs said their staff reflects the diversity of the community they serve.

Early On Michigan

According to MLPP, Early On emphasizes early identification of children ages 0-3 with developmental delays or disabilities and services that can enhance their development.

Michigan is experiencing a significant shortage of qualified early intervention personnel like school psychologists, speech-language pathologists and early childhood teachers. According to the report, Early On needs a funded strategy to support the recruitment and preparation of early intervention personnel.

“Altogether, what we’re seeing is a real lack of value for these workers who give so much to take care of Michigan’s youngest residents. From the low wages to the lack of advancement opportunities and public investments, an essential sector of Michigan’s workforce is being left behind,” Stanton said.

Recommendations

The report outlines several recommendations for the state to improve the childhood workforce crisis including:

•    The state improving its data collection on the early childhood workforce.

•    Developing a strategy to improve the pay for workers.

•    Creating a career pipeline that increases chances for training, credentialing and career advancement.

Michigan philanthropy continues to work in communities and statewide to address the challenges in early childhood education and care.

The Southeast Michigan Early Childhood Funders Collaborative (SEMI-ECFC), formed by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, The Skillman Foundation, Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation, McGregor Fund, Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, The Jewish Fund and the PNC Foundation, continue to work to improve the strength and impact of conversations about early childhood development and education.

Want more?

Read the full report.