Capital Area Child Care Coalition (CACCC) receives funding to help close opportunity gap for children through public education and by creating child care jobs and investments

LANSING, Mich. — (May 14, 2025) — The Capital Area Child Care Coalition (CACCC) — a group of community leaders dedicated to increasing the supply of high-quality child care in Ingham, Eaton and Clinton counties — will be focusing its efforts to support child care providers in expanding their facilities to create more jobs and child care slots, as well as to educate Tri-County parents, employers, and child care providers about transformative programs and support available to them thanks to a planning grant from the Early Childhood Investment Corporation, a move that will reduce barriers to access and help close the opportunity gap for children. 

The Lansing area faces several child care challenges. The region has been identified as a child care desert according to data from the state of Michigan, with a ratio of 3.38 children for every licensed child care slot for ages 0-11. That imbalance is even higher for infant/toddlers (0-2yrs), who experience a 4.87 child to available slot ratio. When child care spots are available, they are often unaffordable, causing some parents and caregivers to leave the workforce.

This new round of funding will help CACCC invest in high-quality early learning facilities and connect parents to programs to help offset the cost of child care, such as the Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP), Michigan’s free pre-K program for eligible four-year-olds; MI Tri-Share, which allows employees to share the cost of child care equality with their employer and the state of Michigan; and other important state and local programs.

“Quality child care is not just a family issue—it’s a critical economic development imperative,” said Bob Trezise, President and CEO of the Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP) (left). “When parents have reliable, affordable child care options, businesses benefit from reduced absenteeism, increased productivity, and a more stable workforce. This funding to raise awareness of these vital resources represents an investment not just in our children, but in the prosperity of our entire Tri-County region.”

The CACCC — which is led by LEAP, Capital Area Michigan Works! and the United Way of South Central Michigan — received $100,000 from ECIC for 2025. This project was supported by funding provided from the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement and Potential (MiLEAP) utilizing American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding, from the Office of Child Care, Administration for Children & Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

“Capital Area Michigan Works! is proud to partner on and support the Capital Area Child Care Coalition (CACCC) in our tri-county region,” said Carrie Rosingana, Chief Executive Officer of CAMW!. “Having access to quality child care is critical to supporting families that work across all industry sectors and is often a barrier that impacts an individual’s ability to gain and retain employment successfully. The CACCC’s first Employer Roundtable is an opportunity to bring regional employers together to collectively discuss strategies and resources that may benefit their employees facing child care challenges.”

As a group of over 70 community leaders in Clinton, Eaton and Ingham Counties, the CACCC is committed to equitable solutions that not only make child care more accessible for the region’s families, but also those that build the local economy by supporting child care businesses and by helping all employers expand and retain their talent pool.

“Our community has demonstrated the need, the innovation and the collaboration necessary to design solutions and create systems for high quality child care that meet the needs of our employers and their workforce,” said Michele Strasz, Director of Community Impact at the United Way of South Central Michigan. “UWSCMI is excited to continue this work with the new grant funding in partnership with our co-chairs, ECIC and the state of Michigan.”

The funding from ECIC will also be used toward recruiting new CACCC members, as well as toward a redesign of the coalition’s website to make it more effective and user-friendly. The CACCC will also focus on reaching out to child care providers to educate them about free resources available to them through LEAP’s TREK Small Business Support Hub, including trainings and workshops, access to capital, business operating support, site selection, networking opportunities and more.

These efforts represent a crucial investment in our region’s economic future. Through LEAP’s TREK Small Business Support Hub, the CACCC is offering child care providers access to critical business development resources, mentorship, and technical assistance that can help them expand operations, improve quality, and build sustainable business models. By strengthening these small businesses, the coalition is simultaneously addressing the region’s child care shortage and creating more economic opportunity.

“We are grateful to have the opportunity to continue to partner with the Lansing Economic Area Partnership, Capital Area MI Works! and the United Way of South Central Michigan as they lead Region 7’s Child Care Coalition,” said Joan Blough, Senior Director, Child Care Innovation Fund, Early Childhood Investment Corporation. “Their leadership in recognizing child care as a critical component of the region’s infrastructure that supports economic growth and mobility is exceptional. The Child Care Innovation Fund looks forward to supporting the South Central region’s efforts to increase child care supply.”

These new efforts are a continuation of CACCC’s work over the previous two years, which included data-gathering, engagement with key stakeholders, and the creation of a Regional Action Plan that reflects the region’s needs. Implementation of the plan began last year, including employer roundtables, technical assistance workshops, and other strategies.

Notably, the CACCC connected child care provider Little Dreamers Early Learning Center to the TREK Small Business Support Hub last year, and through funding and other support services, helped the center to expand to a second location. The 6,000-square-foot expansion project opened in fall 2024, offering the community 30 new child care slots and creating 15 new jobs. The new space includes several new classrooms, a larger outdoor play area, and enhanced learning spaces. Little Dreamers plans to add a Great Start to Readiness Program classroom, offering free preschool education to eligible four-year-olds.

The CACCC also engages in long-term systemic investments. LEAP awarded $150,000 in Lansing Regional Site Readiness funds to Michigan State University, which contributed greatly to expand its third Child Development Lab, bringing its top-tier early childhood education programs to a new state-of-the-art facility. The new center will train future early educators and expand critical access to families across the region.

Together, the CACCC’s strategic investments, connections, and education efforts will greatly impact the quality of child care and early learning in the Capital region, and serve as a model to other regions throughout the state.

To learn more about the coalition please visit www.purelansing.com/childcare.

From a recent interview, watch Carrie Rosingana and Chris discuss the Capital Area Child Care Coalition’s impact, new website, and the future of child care in Michigan in the YouTube video shared below:

About LEAP

The Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP) is a coalition of area leaders partnering to build a stronger community for all – working every day to grow, retain and attract business to the Lansing, Michigan, region