MyLEAP outlines FY2026 budget priorities: pre-K expansion, childcare changes and higher-education grants

Dr. Beverly Walker Grafia, director of the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement and Potential (MyLEAP), told the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Higher Education and Community Colleges that MyLEAP's FY2026 executive budget recommendation keeps prior commitments while adding targeted investments to expand early education and strengthen postsecondary supports.

"MyLeap was established in 2023 by governor Whitmer to align state resources to ensure that every Michigander has the lifelong educational opportunities they need to achieve their goals and thrive," Grafia said. She and deputy director for early education Emily Laidlaw described program outcomes, recent enrollment gains and proposed budget amounts.

Grafia said the executive recommendation continues $676,100,000 for pre-K through the Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP), including a $392 per-child increase that brings the per-student allocation to $10,577. The proposal also includes: $28,000,000 for student transportation, $25,000,000 in startup grants to attract new providers, $28,400,000 for EarlyON Michigan (early intervention/support for infants and toddlers with developmental delays), and $63,000,000 in state funding for the child development and care scholarship (maintaining a 15% reimbursement increase implemented this year).

Two new investments in early education were highlighted: $61,000,000 to expand the…