April 29, 2026
LANSING, Mich. – A record number of Michigan children and families are benefiting from the state's Child Development and Care (CDC) scholarship, with 47,548 children participating statewide. The milestone reflects growing demand for affordable, high-quality child care and underscores the essential role the scholarship plays in helping families work, providers operate, and businesses grow.
By reducing the cost of care, the CDC scholarship enables more parents to enter and remain in the workforce while ensuring children are in safe, nurturing learning environments.
In March 2026, the CDC scholarship supported 47,548 children from 28,857 families through partnerships and 6,325 child care businesses across Michigan.
“This CDC scholarship is delivering for Michigan families,” said Dr. Beverly Walker-Griffea, director of MiLEAP. “We are meeting the needs of every family who qualifies with an eligible child care provider, ensuring they can access reliable, high-quality care they can afford. Every child served represents a family that can work, grow, and plan for the future."
The federally funded scholarship covers a portion or, in many cases, most of the cost of care by paying licensed or approved providers directly, reducing out-of-pocket expenses and making care more affordable and reliable for families. This stability allows parents to stay consistently employed or continue their education without worrying about disruptions in care.
State leaders say the impact of the scholarship is felt not only by families, but across Michigan’s workforce and economy.
“Access to affordable child care helps families go to work and school,” said Emily Laidlaw, deputy director at MiLEAP overseeing the Office of Early Education. “When families don’t have to worry about how they’ll pay for care or whether it’s reliable, it reduces stress and helps them stay focused on their jobs. That’s good for families and for employers.”
Child care advocates across the state say the program is also strengthening the broader early childhood system.
“The CDC scholarship is a critical support for both families and the child care workforce,” said Erica Willard, CEO of the Michigan Association for the Education of Young Children. “When families can afford care, children benefit from stable, high-quality early learning experiences, and early childhood programs are better able to invest in recruiting and retaining educated and experienced staff. Continued investment in programs like this is essential to building a strong, equitable early childhood system in Michigan”
The program also plays a critical role in sustaining Michigan’s child care sector by providing consistent, reliable revenue to child care businesses, allowing them to maintain staffing, expand capacity, and continue serving families in their communities.
“Reaching a record number of children through the CDC scholarship is a clear sign of how important this program is to Michigan families and our economy,” said Alicia Guevara, CEO of the Early Childhood Investment Corporation. “Child care is not just a family issue; it’s an economic issue. When families can access affordable care, businesses have the workforce they need to grow and thrive.”
MiLEAP continues to strengthen and improve the CDC scholarship through ongoing system enhancements, provider supports, and strong oversight to ensure families can access benefits efficiently and providers are reimbursed reliably.
“After more than 30 years in this business, I’ve seen firsthand how much the CDC scholarship matters for families and providers,” said Aimee Mastej, owner of Aimee Mastej’s Day Care in Gaylord. “It’s easy to use, and it gives me consistent, reliable payments so I’m not chasing down tuition. More importantly, it gives parents peace of mind because many of them wouldn’t be able to afford care without it. Honestly, without the scholarship, I’m not sure I’d still be in business. That stability allows me to focus on providing a safe, high-quality environment where kids can learn and grow.”
The record enrollment builds on Michigan’s broader early childhood investments, including PreK for All, which saves families an estimated $14,000 per year and helps ensure children enter school ready to succeed, and the Every Child Reads initiative, which is focused on improving early literacy and helping more children read proficiently.
Together, these investments are helping more Michigan families stay in the workforce, supporting small businesses, and building a stronger, more resilient economy for the state.
Additional information about the CDC scholarship and other early childhood supports is available at MiLEAP’s Office of Early Education webpage.
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About MiLEAP:
Established by Governor Whitmer in 2023, MiLEAP’s mission is to improve outcomes from birth to postsecondary so anyone can ‘make it in Michigan’ with a solid education and a path to a good-paying job. To learn more about MiLEAP, go to Michigan.gov/MiLEAP.
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