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Child-care providers and parents urge Kalamazoo County to invest in vouchers, wage supports
Summary
Multiple public commenters at the Dec. 2 Kalamazoo County meeting said local childcare is scarce and unaffordable; providers and advocacy groups asked the board to consider vouchers, employer TriShare supports and county investment to stabilize programs and retain staff.
Speakers at the Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners’ Dec. 2 Committee of the Whole meeting put childcare shortages at the center of public comment, asking the county to consider local investment and new subsidy tools.
Emily Britton, public policy manager at YWCA Kalamazoo, told commissioners the agency served about 140 families and more than 180 children in 2024 but cannot meet local demand amid declining government funding and low wages for early childhood educators. "Access to child care and fair wages for those who do the…
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