MiLEAP Director Dr. Beverly Walker-Griffea on House Republican Budget

LANSING, Mich. –Today, Michigan Department of Lifelong Education Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP) Director, Dr. Beverly Walker-Griffea, released the following statement in response to the House Republicans’ budget proposal.

“At MiLEAP, we are committed to ensuring that every Michigander feels supported at every stage of their lifelong learning journey. The House budget plan significantly undermines that commitment by eliminating investments in early learning and child care, out-of-school time programming, and higher education that families and individuals depend on every day.”

Potential impacts from the House-passed budget include:

• Fewer 4-year-olds will be able to enroll in Michigan’s PreK for All programs, including the Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP), denying thousands of children access to high-quality learning opportunities and families savings of up to $10,000 annually in child care costs.
• Less GSRP classrooms opening, with the end of start-up grants that expand capacity and drive PreK for All forward.
• Families unable to sign up for child care scholarships, guaranteeing thousands of families will lose the ability to receive affordable child care.
• Fewer workers keeping kids safe by investigating complaints of abuse and neglect.
• Risk of losing child care providers families rely on with $50 million eliminated to bring payments to child care providers in line with private pay providers.
• Loss of the MI Future Educator Student Teacher Stipend and Fellowship, making it harder for aspiring teachers to enter the profession and shrinking the pipeline of qualified educators Michigan children depend on, and breaking a commitment to current participants.
• Elimination of literacy supports for children and families, with the loss of Great Start Collaboratives and Family Coalitions that provide books, resources and local coordination.
• Reduced access to Early On services for infants and toddlers with developmental delays, limiting early interventions that help children thrive.
• Blocked pathway to free PreK for 3-year-olds with the exclusion of the Strong Beginnings program.
• Limited support for students pursuing postsecondary education, with fewer staff to connect families to financial aid resources, administer scholarships and grants and provide the funding and information students need to achieve their educational goals, while slowing our progress toward Michigan’s Sixty by 30 goal.
• Fewer students able to participate in essential afterschool and summer learning programs that prevent absenteeism, reduce summer learning loss, and help students succeed in school.
• Elimination of FAFSA completion supports, removing resources that help tens of thousands of Michigan students access federal and state financial aid for their postsecondary education.
• Significantly reduced funding for Michigan’s community colleges and public universities, putting postsecondary education further out of reach for students and undermining the instrumental role these institutions play in preparing talent in our state.

“In total, the House budget removes nearly $713.5 million from School Aid programs and more than $115 million from Higher Education programs administered by MiLEAP. Additionally, it cuts nearly $96 million in direct funding, weakening staff capacity needed to deliver these vital services. These aren’t just numbers; they represent fewer opportunities for Michigan’s children, families and communities.

We need the legislature to work together to pass a bipartisan budget that restores funding to these critical programs. Michigan needs a budget that keeps its promise to invest in education, from birth to college through career, rather than one that makes detrimental cuts. Only by supporting our learners and educators can we ensure a stronger, healthier, and more prosperous Michigan for generations to come.”