Blog

When Child Care Providers are an Extension of Your Home Life, Saying Goodbye is a Tough Conversation

2 months ago

(August 4, 2023) – Two and a half years ago, I was hired onto Michigan’s Children staff to essentially deal with all things outreach-related. At that time, it was the…

To Give Youth a Chance for Improved Outcomes, We Should Recognize Foster Case and Juvenile Justice as the Educational Systems They Are

Speaking for Kids

4 months ago

(June 7, 2023) Our foster care and juvenile justice systems are educational systems, and we must view them as such. Look at what these systems fundamentally do. Foster care is…

Increasing Access to Early On and Child Care Top Concerns of Young Families at Livingston Forum

Speaking for Kids

4 months ago

(May 4, 2023) Last month the Livingston Great Start Parent Coalition hosted a dynamic Q&A in Howell to learn about their lawmakers’ priorities and educate them about how families experience…

Hundreds Use their Voices for Early Childhood at Capital Day

Speaking for Kids

6 months ago

Hundreds of early childhood advocates urged their lawmakers to “Think Babies” during a Capitol Day in Lansing hosted by Think Babies Michigan and the Michigan Association for the Education of…

Expanding Opportunities for Detroit Teens; Youth Voice Leads the Way

Speaking for Kids

10 months ago

Last week, I had the pleasure of attending a meeting of the Detroit-based afterschool program, Teen HYPE, as youth hosted stakeholders from across the city for a special brainstorming session.…

College Students from Foster Care – Why On-Campus Mentoring Makes a Difference

Speaking for Kids

10 months ago

Attending college, particularly a large university like Michigan State University (MSU), is filled with exciting first-time experiences for new college-goers, but also challenges that could be hard to overcome without…

Preparing Youth with Disabilities to Vote; Leave No Voter Behind

Speaking for Kids

12 months ago

The transition period from childhood to adulthood can be a stressful, confusing, overwhelming, and exciting time for all youth and their families. There is so much planning and preparation to…

My Introduction to Kinship . . . and a Call to Action

Speaking for Kids

1 year ago

My name is Lindsay Huddleston and I’m a policy and program associate for Michigan’s Children. Today, I’m here to share about what I would like to call my “Introduction to…

Calls are Growing to Increase Support for Michigan’s Kinship Families

Speaking for Kids

1 year ago

Kinship care is all around you; you just might not recognize it. Grandparents, aunts, and uncles caring for their relatives’ children, young adults taking in their younger siblings. Even close…

Sarah Dennis to Research Challenges of License-Exempt Child Care Providers in Summer Internship

Speaking for Kids

1 year ago

My name is Sarah Dennis, and I recently joined Michigan’s Children as an intern. In the fall, I will be a junior at Michigan State University in James Madison College.…