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Last fall, IPR brought you “A Crisis of Care” – a five-part series about childcare in northern Michigan. We spoke to the Amidon family in Manistee about their needs.Now they've invited to Washington D.C to advocate for Michigan families.
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In December, IPR brought you a series about child care focused on the lack of access to care and affordability. So what does an equitable system look like?
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Thanks for listening to and reading "A Crisis of Care" an IPR series taking a broad look at the childcare crisis in northern Michigan. Throughout the series, we referenced various local, state and federal studies to inform our work and to supplement the voices you heard from in the region. The three studies we referenced through each story are listed below with a brief summary of what they are.
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We heard from Jennifer Wixson in the first part of our series, "A Crisis of Care." She listened to the series, and joins us now to weigh in on what she heard.
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A lack of affordable childcare can hurt recruitment and retention of employees. It costs up to $2 billion a year in lost revenue across Michigan, according to national and statewide studies.
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There are two common models for childcare in our country: Childcare centers, and home-based care. In Northport, they're testing a hybrid approach.
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Whether they’re operating out of a center or a private home, childcare providers face similar issues: they need staff and be able to pay them competitively, all while trying to keep the costs affordable for families.
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National studies show that families in lower income brackets struggle to afford or even find childcare, but those in the middle income bracket are feeling it, too.
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Northern Michigan is experiencing a childcare crisis. Parents can’t find affordable childcare. Employers are struggling to hire and retain workers and childcare providers can’t afford to lower their prices and boost.