NEWS RELEASE FOR RELEASE OCTOBER 15, 2024
West Michigan regional childcare plan guides strategic efforts to boost workforce participation and economic growth
Childcare business owner research reveals TOP 5 improvements to accelerate growth
GRAND RAPIDS – For the five-county region of Barry, Kent, Ionia, Mecosta, and Montcalm counties, a new regional plan outlines recommendations to solve persistent childcare shortages that make it difficult for employers to fill jobs and for parents to stay employed, limiting economic opportunities throughout the region.
“After 50 years of supporting childcare systems in Kent County, Vibrant Futures is proud to publish this plan to expand childcare across the five-county region,” said Chaná Edmond-Verley, CEO of Vibrant Futures, the Kent County nonprofit connecting regional childcare resources since 1973 and serving now as the West Michigan hub for MI Tri-Share, a state cost-sharing program. “A good supply of quality childcare is essential to labor participation and economic development. The regional plan addresses unmet needs that today are pressing on both sides: parents of young children who need work, and employers who need workers.”
The report shows that in each of the five counties, demand for childcare outstrips supply by about 2 to 1:
Barry: 2.6 kids per childcare seat, moving to 2.5
Ionia: 2.6 kids per childcare seat
Kent: 1.7 kids per childcare seat, moving to 1.6
Mecosta: 2.1 kids per childcare seat
Montcalm: 2.8 kids per childcare seat
“We have come to realize that economic development without childcare expansion is like building factories without roads to reach them, or planting trees without a source of water,” said Victor Joaquin, talent program manager at The Right Place. “Childcare is essential infrastructure, and the current shortage is holding us back.”
The 2023-24 regional planning process included primary research to reveal the varied perspectives of parents with young children, regional employers seeking talent, and owners of childcare centers and home-based businesses. The work explored data mining, gap analysis, identification of root causes, alignment across sectors, and opportunities to leverage resources. The collaborative effort sparked the formation of the Coalition to Expand Childcare Supply in the Western Region, with members from business, economic development, planning and zoning, intermediaries, parents, and philanthropy.
The West Michigan Regional Childcare Plan includes four research-based action goals:
- Expand and connect cost-share efforts in the region and state for greater childcare affordability for families, with 91% of employers and 70% of families ranking affordability as a top concern
- Increase childcare supply and access, with 99% of employers ranking childcare availability as a top issue
- Address Early Childhood Education workforce shortages, with 70% of coalition members setting this as a top priority
- Pursue and align advocacy efforts and innovative approaches, with 60% of coalition members considering education and advocacy with a focus on state and federal funding as top strategic actions
“We know without a doubt that safe, affordable childcare is an essential prerequisite to workforce participation, business success, and economic sustainability in communities throughout West Michigan,” said Edmond-Verley. “While the childcare norm for decades has been a patchwork of disconnected policies and programs, we are now on the cusp of launching a connected regional strategy that will systematize the integration of childcare in all policies, places, and programs.”
The West Michigan Regional Childcare Plan and research reports are available at www.vibrantfuturesmi.org.
Vibrant Futures creates equitable cradle-to-career opportunities and experiences that hold sacred the vibrant promise and potential in every child, youth, family, and caregiver… to ensure more vibrant futures for all. In 2024, Vibrant Futures celebrates its 50th anniversary of serving West Michigan families and children. www.vibrantfuturesmi.org
Since its founding in 1985, The Right Place has helped thousands of West Michigan companies invest more than $5.1 billion and create more than 47,000 jobs throughout the region. www.rightplace.org