Childcare Resources
The Dickinson Area Economic Development Alliance is a partner in the U.P. Regional Child Care Coalition.
We can connect you with local resources, technical assistance, and programs that support:
For more information, please contact Mindy Meyers at mindy.meyers@daeda.org.
Understanding the childcare landscape
These resources provide data and context on the scope of the childcare shortage in Michigan and the Upper Peninsula.
Michigan Child Care Mapping Project (MSU) — interactive maps from Michigan State University's Engaged Research and Evaluation Center, supported by MiLEAP, tracking childcare deserts, licensed provider counts by county, and how state investments are flowing. A powerful tool for understanding where new providers are most needed.
U.P. ECE Child Care Coalition 2024 Report and Actions (PDF) — a comprehensive needs assessment covering all 15 U.P. counties, with data from surveys of parents, employers, childcare business owners, and municipal governments. Includes findings on availability, affordability, workforce wages, licensable building stock, and zoning barriers.
MI Tri-Share Child Care Program
MI Tri-Share is a Michigan workforce development program that makes childcare more affordable by splitting the cost three ways: one-third paid by the employee, one-third by the employer, and one-third by the State of Michigan.
The program is for Michigan employers and working parents with household incomes between 201% and 325% of the Federal Poverty Level. Funds can be used for any licensed childcare provider serving children ages 0–17, including preschool, before/after school care, and summer programs.
For participating employers, MI Tri-Share is a recruitment and retention tool — a meaningful, low-cost benefit that helps your employees stay in the workforce.
To learn more or get started in the Upper Peninsula, contact MARESA, the regional hub for MI Tri-Share. Visit MITriShare.org for additional program details.
Starting a Childcare Business in Michigan
Michigan needs more licensed childcare providers — and there are resources to help you get there.
The State of Michigan offers a step-by-step guide to licensure covering all three license types:
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Family Child Care Home — care for 1–6 unrelated children in your home
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Group Child Care Home — care for 7–12 unrelated children in your home
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Child Care Center — care in a commercial facility for any number of children under 13
The process includes steps like background checks, CPR/first aid certification, health inspections, and an orientation before your initial license is issued.
Resources for aspiring childcare providers:
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Step-by-Step Guide to Child Care Licensure in Michigan — a plain-language walkthrough of the licensure process.
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Michigan Child Care Licensing Bureau (MiLEAP) — licensing rules, applications, the CCHIRP provider portal, and additional resources from the state agency that oversees licensure.
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Michigan Child Care Mapping Project (MSU) — interactive maps showing where childcare deserts exist, provider counts by county, and scholarship usage data — useful for understanding where new providers are most needed.
Childcare Resources for Local Governments
Childcare isn't just a family issue — it's an economic development issue. Addressing childcare supply is essential to attracting and retaining the workforce our communities need to grow.
A 2024 regional assessment by the Early Childhood Education Task Force of the Upper Peninsula found that in many communities in the U.P., three or more children compete for every licensed childcare spot — and in some areas, no licensed spots at all. In addition to the lack of access, over half of U.P. families surveyed were spending more than double the federally defined threshold for "affordable" childcare.
Childcare Is a Land Use Issue
Outdated or overly restrictive zoning can prevent childcare businesses from opening — even when the community desperately needs them. The U.P. ECE Task Force's municipal assessment found that a significant number of local master plans across the region are out of date, and that strategies addressing childcare are uncommon in U.P. plans. That's an opportunity.
Why it matters
Access to childcare is inextricably linked with housing, transportation, and employment needs. Convenient, affordable childcare can create economic advantages for both families and communities. Treating childcare centers as commercial land uses rather than neighborhood-serving uses increases the cost and inconvenience of childcare for residents — and increased zoning barriers add directly to the cost of care.
Resources for local officials and planners
Planning and Zoning Best Practices Guide for Child Care Facilities (PDF) — developed by CUPPAD Regional Commission as part of the ECE Task Force's work; shared with planning commissions across the U.P.
APA Policy Guide on the Provision of Child Care — the American Planning Association's longstanding policy guidance on integrating childcare into local planning and zoning.
Reducing Barriers for Childcare Facilities, Parts 1 & 2 — a two-part series from MRSC (Municipal Research and Services Center) with practical examples of how communities are updating their codes to support childcare development.
Michigan Child Care Mapping Project — Child Care Deserts Map — use this to illustrate the need in your community when making the case for plan updates.
We work to make the Dickinson area a robust community to do business and live and work.
