A stampede for child care in Traverse City reveals ‘heartbreaking’ crisis

“The market will not bear the costs for families who actually pay the actual costs to provide care,” said McNabb. “So although it is a very high costs for families, providers do not deserve enough to pay a livable wage to the people they hire.”

It cost home care provider Christina Evans, owner of Wild Ginger Day Care in nearby Bellaire, two years to hire her last assistant. Even with that assistant, Evans says that she works for about 70 hours a week for about a dozen children a day.

“My spots are full,” said Evans. “I wish I could have fewer children, because some days are so difficult. My toddlers need so much supervision. “

Hiring more help is not an option because of the extra costs, even if she could find another employee who would rather change diapers than making almost the same money that works with a fast food counter.

Evans refused to say how much she pays her employees, but more than two-thirds of Michigan’s early care and educational staff earn less than $ 15 per hour, despite the fact that more than 67% have a post-secondary reference, according to one Early pediatric company report.

Most people who spoke to Bridge in Traverse City argued for state subsidies to increase the wages of childcare workers, with the hope increased wages would collect employment and expand slots.

“We subsidize oil, we subsidize farms, nobody looks at them twice,” said Traverse City Mom Lau. “So why would childcare be different? Everyone has to make a livable wage. ‘

More help, but more needed

Many childcare employees earned more money a few years ago, the beneficiary of federal pandemic funds. Michigan received $ 1.4 billion in financing for childcare from the American rescue plan 2021 and other COVID-related auxiliary packages. Many childcare centers and home providers used that money to increase the salaries of employees.

This financing ended in September 2023, making an already staggering business model even more unstable.

In the period of 12 months that ended in February 2025, the region lost $ 10 in northwestern Michigan 13% of its childcare providers and 7% of his childcare capacity, according to data provided to Michigan by the United Way of Northwest Michigan.

The state has been performed with various programs to help with access and affordability of childcare. There are now more than 45,171 students who are registered for the Free Pre-K program of the State for 4-year-olds, who have recently expanded legislators. There is also a growing one internship program for childcare workers.

A pilot program that splits the costs of childcare between the state, employers and employees is now available in the entire state. There are more than 200 companies that participate Mi Tri-ShareThose employees up to around $ 7 million in childcare costs until November 2024 saved.

Thirty of those companies are in Grand Traverse County, where Traverse City is located.

“It is really a good way for employers to find ways to attract and retain talent, and to offer a unique advantage for working families to be able to pay for childcare,” said Seth Johnson, CEO of United Way by Northwest Michigan, That the Mi manages Tri-Share program for the State.

Despite the increased attention to the childcare crisis, Michigan is still lagging behind some states in investing in solutions.

Minnesota, for example, has implemented legislation to invest $ 1.3 billion past four years To lower the prices for childcare for families.

One study in Michigan calculated that the state should spend $ 3.2 billion More per year to resolve the childcare crisis, above $ 1 billion that is already going to early education.

That seems like a heavy lift in the current political climate, said the Johnson of the United Way. Although extra money can be difficult, Johnson said he believes that there is interest in removing some regulations that hinder childcare companies.

An example: providers at home are currently not allowed to offer kindergarten, after-school or summer care for school-going children, said Johnson. The elimination of that ban could illuminate some of the capacity problems in the summers in communities such as Traverse City, where more than half of childcare is offered by providers at home, and in the upper peninsula, where the percentage at home is even higher.

“It is frustrating when we have highly qualified people who can offer care and cannot,” said Johnson.