Michigan's Children

08/26/2026

Hear from state legislative candidates on their priorities and plans before the November election. Attendees will have the chance to engage with candidates by asking questions and addressing issues that matter to you, your family, and your
community. Candidates will address key topics, including the Special Education Funding Reform Blueprint and other issues connected to students with
disabilities and special education.

You can register for the event by using the QR code or link below: https://
tinyurl.com/2026CandidateForumGrand-Rapids

08/26/2026

08/26/2026

Starting in one hour, make sure to join for a very important discussion on mental health and going back to school!

Join us tomorrow for:
“Back-to-School & Mental Health: Preparing Students for Success”

Wednesday, August 26 (noon to 1 p.m.)

Register by scanning the QR code or using the link.

https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_wU_0Is__SwWU9IlCgDg7Pw

08/25/2026

Join us tomorrow for:
“Back-to-School & Mental Health: Preparing Students for Success”

Wednesday, August 26 (noon to 1 p.m.)

Register by scanning the QR code or using the link.

https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_wU_0Is__SwWU9IlCgDg7Pw

08/21/2026

Help the Michigan Kinship Care Coalition expand and become part of the kinship care movement! Join us for our upcoming general membership meeting on August 26 from 3-4:30pm. Registration is required to join!

General meeting link: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/No6ohyT3QYyhIsKz43tGCw

Also, take your advocacy to the next level and join us on September 18th for our annual kinship care symposium! See comments for registration!

Kinship Symposium link: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_CfI1g1HmRqSu9WdAMqIDPw

08/20/2026

Sign Michigan’s Children’s letter to Congress asking them to pass the Child Care Modernization Act! This bipartisan legislation would codify expansion grants to child care programs and give programs that serve low-income families through the child care scholarship the raise they deserve!

Watch this video to learn more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2rGRtUi6ew

Sign the letter here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfY2wROXvMQad0jNSnB3Ljs-mW0mqqmIwBwmSmSjr_YVb0nVw/viewform

Learn more: https://www.ffyf.org/2026/06/09/first-five-things-child...

08/18/2026

Michigan's Children is asking organizations across Michigan to sign on to our letter to Congressmembers, which asks for their support for the Child Care Modernization Act (CCMA). This bipartisan federal bill would:

Reauthorize the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), which pays for child care for low- and middle-income families through Michigan's child care scholarship

Create new facilities and expansion grants for child care programs to expand child care access for families

Require states to use a long-overdue true cost of care rate-setting mechanism for paying child care programs, which would move them closer to properly compensating child care educators, thus limiting staff turnover and protecting child care access for families

Learn more about CCMA here - from First Five Years Fund (FFYF): https://www.ffyf.org/2026/07/09/the-child-care-modernization-act-a-step-forward-for-families/

View our CCMA letter here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tSbgbPJ-CIMT-Jxq9SVeVRKlTSXkXa2Y/view?usp=sharing

08/17/2026

Homeless liaisons and other school staff can be a lifeline for students experiencing homelessness or housing instability. This short video from our partners at SchoolHouse Connection features youth leaders and scholars sharing their experiences and offering gratitude to the adults who showed up for them.

Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/p6tkCBsytVU?si=RoTVysjPHiO8wxu4

08/14/2026

Michigan students were secluded or restrained nearly 18,000 times during the 2024–25 school year, with the vast majority of incidents involving students with disabilities. Michigan’s Children supports Michigan Advocates to End Seclusion and Restraint and efforts to end the use of seclusion while ensuring restraint is used only as a true last resort in emergencies. Every child deserves a safe, supportive learning environment that prioritizes prevention, trauma-informed care, and dignity over harmful practices. Read more in this latest Bridge Michigan article.

Michigan students were secluded or restrained nearly 18,000 times during the 2024-2025 school year. Advocates say more staff training and an emphasis on prevention would help students.