Q&A: Childcare in Michigan

This Q&A is excerpted from a State Innovation Exchange telephone townhall featuring Michigan Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist, State Sen. Mallory McMorrow, and Eboni Taylor, Michigan Executive Director of Mothering Justice.

Answers have been edited for length and clarity.

Childcare access has been a concern for years. What is different now that can finally help parents tackle the problem?

Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist: You are absolutely right. For too many years, in Michigan and the rest of the country, we've been content with saying that paying for childcare is a parent's responsibility. And we've only made modest investments to help low-income families afford childcare.

That's why we proposed a generational investment in childcare in our recent budget to:

Expand access to childcare to an additional 150,000 families at low, and in many cases, zero cost
Compensate child care professionals more fairly and equitably
Incentivize the creation of childcare businesses in childcare deserts

We've also recently received $1.1 billion to invest in childcare, and we're going to be sharing an even bigger and bolder plan to invest those funds wisely. And I'm optimistic that we're going to find a way to get this done on a bipartisan basis.

Lt. Governor Gilchrist wife, Ellen and two children — *Lt. Governor Gilchrist with his wife and two children*

Senator Mallory McMorrow: I've been speaking very candidly about my experience becoming a mother, going through postpartum depression, and why taking a 12-week leave was so important to me, even though it's not something that legislators technically qualify for.

I was walking down the street in my neighborhood, and a woman stopped me to say she really appreciated me being vulnerable in that way. And then she asked me, "Can you do childcare next?" She said that as a working mother of two young kids, she was effectively using her entire salary to cover their childcare. But she kept working because she needed the health care associated with her job.

So, in the same way that we invest in public education and guarantee that every child has a right to an education, every child should have the right to quality childcare.

We have such a huge opportunity to radically change how we invest and prioritize childcare in this state, which can completely change our economy moving forward.

Currently, I am caring for my adult, disabled brother and am unable to work. What are we doing to increase access to adult care facilities so that people like me can get back to work?

Senator Mallory McMorrow: I feel this, so personally. My husband and I have a fourth-month-old daughter, and my husband also has an older brother who has Down Syndrome and currently lives with his mother-in-law, who's now in her 80s. So many families are part of this "sandwich generation," where you're taking care of either a sibling or a parent, and your kids as well. Part of the solution to these issues is to invest in in-home care providers across the board because caretaking looks very different for many people.

This way, we can enable people to continue their retirement or continue working rather than having to put their entire life on hold to care for family members.

mallory mcmorrow playing with kid — *State Senator Mallory McMorrow*

I am a grandmother, and my daughter is a single parent. She works midnight shifts, so I have to take care of my granddaughter throughout the night and morning. Is there some type of system where I'm considered a caregiver and paid as such?

Senator Mallory McMorrow: I'm not aware of any programs right now that allow for compensation in a situation like yours, but I think that is something we should absolutely look into because there are so many people who are in multi-generational care situations, caring for grandkids, parents, and other family members.

In other areas of law right now, you can get paid as an in-home caregiver. For example, if your loved one or your family member gets in a catastrophic accident and you're their part-time caregiver, you can be reimbursed.

Eboni Taylor: You are what we at Mothering Justice call an "other mother," which is the term that we use to describe people in the informal childcare space.

We are working diligently to think about "other mothers" all the time. We have an entire strategy dedicated to clearing a better pathway for people like you to become a licensed care providers, such as waiving certain fees and increasing pay for license-exempt child care providers.

Connect with your elected leaders

(If you don't know who your state legislators are, look them up using our tool!)

Garlin Gilchrist

Lieutenant Governor

Mallory McMorrow

michigan State senator

Q&A: COVID-19 and Unemployment in Michigan

This Q&A is excerpted from a State Innovation Exchange telephone townhall featuring Michigan state legislators. Questions came from various Michigan residents and answers have been edited for length and clarity.

What legislative efforts are being made to provide essential worker bonuses and benefits like hazard pay?

State Senator Stephanie Chang: My colleagues and I have advocated for more hazard pay for essential workers and grants or bonuses for our teachers.

Last year, we started the Futures for Frontliners program, which allows essential workers to get free tuition for community college or high school completion programs. I cannot understate how important it is to honor our frontline workers not just with words but also with action.

State Senator Camilleri: We are also talking about increasing the minimum wage because, as we saw during this pandemic, so many people on the front lines are not even making a living wage of $15 an hour.

State Representative Aiyash: I'm introducing legislation with Rep. Camilleri to give people a tax credit on any PPE that they purchase. Essential workers would qualify to get a tax credit for all of the PPE they purchase to keep working. That's one way that we're looking at trying to be creative and making sure that those on the frontlines are getting appreciation. Every worker is valuable, and it's time that we start showing that, not just in our words.

Michigan State Senator Stephanie Chang with COVID-19 test kit in the Michigan State Capitol

Michigan State Rep. Darrin Camilleri at the Michigan State Capitol — Michigan State Senator Stephanie Chang with COVID-19 test kit in the Michigan State Capitol

What kind of legislative unemployment reforms is the legislature working on right now?

Senator Stephanie Chang: Senate Democrats have introduced a number of unemployment proposals over the past few years.

We know that we need to permanently extend how many weeks an individual can get unemployment benefits to 26 weeks, not 20 weeks. We need to permanently increase the dollar amount given per week and permanently ensure that all types of workers can file for unemployment— including gig workers, seasonal employees, or other workers who don't normally qualify for unemployment.

There is no reason under the sun not to extend unemployment back to 26 weeks. To quote #BigGretch: let’s get it done. #MISOTS2021
— Abraham Aiyash (@AbrahamAiyash) January 28, 2021

What is the timeline for the unemployment process, and what can I do if I have been waiting a long time for my application to go through?

Senator Stephanie Chang: Typically, for somebody who is filing for unemployment and doesn't have any issues with their claim, their applications are processed within 21 days. However, there are thousands of folks right now who have been waiting a long time for papers or initial payments.

If you are like them and have been waiting for a long time, there are a couple of things you can do.

First, be sure you have read all letters and correspondence in your MiWAM account.
Then, reach out to see if there are any next steps you may need to take, such as providing missing documents or identity verification photos.
I'd also recommend saving the unemployment office's phone number, 866-500-0017, so you do not miss any calls from the office.

We are working hard to get everybody paid right now; the historic volume has certainly slowed down and created some backlogs. But, we expect to get through most of our backlogs in the next couple of weeks.

Representative Aiyash: Please feel free to reach out to your representative's office if you have any questions or need any assistance.

We don't have any authority to necessarily move a case or pull the money and make sure that it gets sent over, but we can make sure that the cases you are submitting are being looked at by the UIA.

Michiganders Want State Lawmakers to Act on Threats of COVID Crisis

Strong support for progressive solutions to help working families and ensure the safety and security of elections

A recent poll commissioned by the State Innovation Exchange (SiX) shows Michigan voters hold deep concerns over the risk that COVID-19 poses to their health and the impact on the economy. The poll showed that Michiganders believe that the government should play a constructive role in people’s economic lives.

The Role of Government in Issues Facing Michigan

When asked if the state government should play a role in some of the issues facing working families, voters overwhelmingly supported government engagement in:

Safely and fairly administering elections (87%);
Ensuring equal access to high-quality K-12 education (84%);
Stopping the spread of the coronavirus (85%);
Ensuring struggling families and children have access to food (83%);
Equal pay for equal work (77%); and
Acknowledging and addressing systemic racism (69%).

Voters Overwhelmingly Support Steps to Ensure Safe and Accessible Elections

Michigan voters overwhelmingly believe that the state government has a role to play in safely and fairly administering elections (87%). The majority of Michiganders report that they will vote by mail in the November election (60%). However one-in-three believe that they will go to the polls (34%).

Voters overwhelmingly supported policies to ensure the election is safe and accessible:

Allow any registered Michigan voter to vote by mail (80%);
Lengthen the window for early voting and allow voters to cast ballots in person up through the day before Election Day (75%);
Mail all registered voters applications to vote-by-mail (72%); and
Allow elections officials to begin processing mail-in ballots before Election Day (69%).

Voters Concerned about COVID Impact and Strongly Support Progressive Economic Policies

By a three-to-one margin, voters believe Michigan state government should invest more in its residents to ensure they are safe, healthy, and economically secure (58%) rather than state government keeping taxes low and cutting funds to key services like education, unemployment, and health insurance (18%).

As for how legislators should address the potential budget shortfalls due to COVID, respondents overwhelmingly favored closing corporate tax loopholes (90%) and increasing taxes and financial penalties on companies that pollute Michigan’s air and water (88%). There is also strong support–77%–for increasing taxes on the wealthiest individuals in Michigan.

Eight-in-ten voters are concerned about people in Michigan losing work and income due to the coronavirus outbreak. Michiganders are equally concerned about small businesses and restaurants closing down permanently in Michigan (81%).

A majority of voters also support measures that would benefit those returning to work and those who remain unemployed, including requiring businesses to provide safe working conditions and penalties if workers get sick (56%) and extending the length of time that laid-off workers can receive unemployment compensation and increasing the amount they receive (55%).

Given the current crisis, Michiganders support policies that will address the economic hardships being faced by many and make life easier for working families:

Providing low-interest loans to small businesses to help them make it through the crisis (91%);
Limiting what drug companies can charge for prescription drugs (88%);
Offering people in Michigan the option to buy into the same public health insurance plans that are available to state employees if they want to (87%);
Creating an insurance plan to provide paid family and medical leave for employees (81%); and
Requiring workplaces to provide paid sick days to their employees (80%).

Click here for more results.

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Health care costs, support for working people top concerns in new Michigan poll

Voters support health care reforms and progressive economic initiatives

A recent poll conducted by Lincoln Park Strategies for SiX shows that economic concerns around the skyrocketing cost of health care and prescription drugs remain key issues for Michigan residents. It highlights that progressive policy solutions like addressing the abuses of drug companies, capping copays, and demanding more transparency are priorities for voters and would make a real difference for Michigan families.

Voters continue to support working people when it comes to measures that expand eligibility for overtime protections, prevent wage theft and payroll fraud, and create a student bill of rights for higher education loan borrowers. They also favor corporations paying their fair share of taxes, particularly as the state continues to grapple with finding enough revenue to invest in priorities like roads and schools.

Residents want action to improve election security

The survey also explored attitudes around the status of election security, openness to further voting reforms, and census participation. Michigan residents value more secure election systems and expect state lawmakers to address it. A majority of respondents supports taking the reforms approved by voters last year a step further by automatically mailing a ballot to all voters. A plurality are also interested in using the new online option for participating in the census next year.

For the polling on health care and economic issues, see more results here and analysis here. For the polling analysis on election security and the census, see here.

Survey Methodology

1,200 total interviews among registered voters were conducted from November 7-18, 2019
Interviews were conducted online, and over the phone (both landline and cell phones)
Results were weighted to ensure proportional response.
The margin of error for overall results is ±2.8% at the 95% confidence level. This number is higher for subgroups.

Widespread Support for Progressive Agenda Among Michigan Voters

Key Findings from Michigan Statewide Polls for the State Innovation Exchange (SiX) reflect voter support for democratic reforms and progressive solutions to economic issues

A recent poll conducted by TargetSmart for SiX revealed that Michigan voters are hungry for concrete improvements in the everyday life of the average person and their family. From safe, modern roads to affordable auto insurance, prescription drugs, and doctor’s visits, Michiganders prioritize tangible impacts that help working people. Moreover, Michigan voters see a clear role for government in delivering these improvements and more broadly providing opportunities that help working families.

Voters are tired of seeing big banks book record profits while the streets they drive on every day are ridden with potholes. Their frustrations are easy to observe when they can’t afford their prescription drugs or their newly hiked up auto insurance bill but see pharmaceutical companies and insurance companies doing better than ever. Public opinion calls for an agenda that ensures everyone pays their fair share, corporations are held accountable, and state government provides opportunities that proactively make life better for working Michiganders.

Support for Democracy Reforms

A second survey found strong support for early voting and vote by mail options. Across all regions and demographics, citizens wanted to reduce the influence of money on policymaking and increase transparency.

For the polling on economic issues, see more analysis here and results here. For the polling on democratic reforms, see here and here.

Survey Methodology

TargetSmart designed and administered this multi-modal survey. Five-hundred interviews were conducted via professional telephone agents (330 wireless respondents, 170 landline respondents) from May 14-23, and 509 interviews were conducted online among panelists who were matched to the TargetSmart voter file from six opt-in panel providers from May 5-23. All respondents indicated they were 18 years or older and registered to vote in Michigan. Quotas were designed to reflect the demographic and geographic distribution of registered voters in Michigan. The data were weighted by gender, age, race, TargetSmart Partisan Score, TargetSmart High School Only Score, and region by county and county council district to ensure an accurate reflection of the population.

Fighting for Families Means Improving Access to Long Term Care

As part of SiX’s 2018 #FightingForFamilies Week of Action, Michigan Rep. Jon Hoadley (D-Kalamazoo), wrote a guest blog on the importance of supporting our country’s aging population by improving access to long-term care for seniors and ensuring caregivers are paid fair wages.

By Michigan Rep. Jon Hoadley

By 2030, Michigan’s senior population will double, meaning that in just over ten years, one in five Michiganders will be over the age of 65. Those shifting demographics are not unique to Michigan, of course; in every state, the number of Baby Boomers reaching retirement age is in-creasing the percentage of older adults and increasing the potential long-term care needs of our country. If we want a state where families and communities truly thrive, the coming decade presents an opportunity organizers, advocates, and elected officials to build the kind of care infra-structure that works for seniors, people with disabilities, paid care workers and family caregivers, and Michigan is at the forefront of building the systems we need. During the State Innovation Exchange’s Fighting for Families Week of Action, it’s crucial to recognize that fighting for families means supporting our country’s aging population, and family member’s ability to secure paid leave to care for ailing parents and grandparents.

To make the strongest case for the policy changes that will ensure that all seniors have access to affordable long-term care, it was clear to me that we first needed to gather comprehensive data about the current state of care in Michigan, and that we needed to model the proposed benefits programs against that data to create something robust and economically sustainable. This legislative session, the study bill I introduced as a member of the Michigan House has won support from both sides of the aisle, and if it passes will present our legislature with long-over-due analysis of the state of aging in Michigan and offer possible paths forward.

Perhaps most important to me is creating a system in the coming years that allows seniors to remain in their homes as they age, rather than moving to care facilities or nursing homes. There is certainly a need for those facilities, of course, but far too often, seniors wind up in those set-tings as a result of a failure in the care system. Medicare, the program that helps older adults meet their health care needs, generally does not pay for home and community based long-term care —but it does pay for care in a facility. Too many families are forced to choose between remaining at home and paying out-of-pocket for home care, or moving to a care facility, where Medicare pays the bill but where seniors are often not nearly as comfortable as they were in their own homes. A key component of the new system we must create is ensuring that caregivers are paid a fair wage. The work of caregiving must be treated with dignity and respect, which means ensuring that paid caregivers earn enough to provide for their own families as they take care of others.

Other states are beginning to take on these care challenges, too. In Hawaii, the Kupuna Care-givers program took effect last year, which helps provide a care benefit so that family caregivers can remain in the workforce and ensure their parents receive the home care services they need. And the Washington legislature just held hearings on a proposal to create a long-term care in-surance program, to create a sustainable and universal guarantee of access to long-term care as Washingtonians age.

Instead of waiting for federal solutions, Michigan is helping imagine new ways to meet the needs of our changing population. As our work continues, I hope to be able to work with legislators across the country to apply what we’re learning in more and more statehouses over the coming decade.

Michigan Rep. Jon Hoadley (D-Kalamazoo) is currently in his second term representing Michi-gan’s 60th House District.