Parents in Michigan's Upper Peninsula may soon have more child care options to choose from.
Gov.
Gretchen Whitmer announced last week that 16 organizations across the state have received a total of $2 million in grants from the Child Care Innovation Fund to develop plans to expand child care, MLive.com reports.
"Child care has always been something that has informed our work," says Jessica Willis, chief program officer for Networks Northwest, one of the winning organizations.
The grants will be used to bring together parents, providers, government officials, and local employers to create a plan to expand child care offerings in 10 counties in the region.
"We want them to dream about what would it look like, in their region, if they had child care options that worked for every working family," says Dawne Bell, CEO of the ECIC, which is funded by the Michigan Department of Education.
Network's Northwest says it plans to expand existing child care providers, establish new providers, and explore ways to increase the number of people who are qualified and willing to work in the child care industry.
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