I’m a licensed home child care provider in Michigan. I want to help families who qualify for child care assistance, but the way DHS runs the system makes it almost impossible. Families wait up to 45 days for approval, and I’m expected to provide care for weeks with no guarantee of payment. Parents can’t pay me up front, and I can’t afford to float the state. Children are losing care because of DHS’s delays, even though federal law already requires states to pay providers on time.

Last year, I had to turn away a mom who qualified for subsidy but couldn’t pay me upfront while DHS took weeks to process her case. She ended up leaving her job because she couldn’t find care. I want to help families like hers, but the way the system works now makes it impossible. 

I know providers who have lost hundreds of dollars because they trusted the system. They cared for children, expecting DHS to pay once the families were approved, only to find out weeks later that the parents didn’t qualify after all. By then, the provider had already given away weeks of care and never saw a dime. No small business can survive like that.

Federal law mandates states to pay child care providers promptly to ensure that families qualifying for assistance are not deprived of essential services.

Under the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), states are required to pay providers in advance or at the start of care, not weeks later. (45 CFR §98.45(m)(1))

Unfortunately, the Michigan Department of Human Services (DHS) lags in fulfilling this requirement, leaving providers like me in a precarious situation. We are pressured to extend care without timely compensation, which unfairly burdens both providers and the families we aim to support.

This delay in payments is more than a procedural oversight; it directly impacts the quality and availability of child care services for countless families across Michigan. With delayed approvals, families wait in uncertainty, while providers struggle financially.

Implementing up-front payments as required by federal law would significantly alleviate the financial stress on providers, thereby ensuring stable, continuous care for children. It is time to address this systemic issue and uphold the federal laws designed to protect our community's weakest members—our children.

Sign the petition to demand the Michigan DHS adhere to federal law and ensure child care providers receive timely payments. Together, we can foster a healthier, more supportive environment for families and caregivers.