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Local childcare providers, parents and advocates urge Kalamazoo County to invest in vouchers, wage supports and TriShare expansion
Summary
Multiple public commenters — including YWCA Kalamazoo, Michigan Transformation Collective and local child‑care centers — told commissioners the county’s child‑care system is broken, cited low staff wages and subsidy barriers, and asked the board to consider vouchers, employer tri‑share support and county investments to stabilize providers.
A series of public commenters at the Dec. 2 Kalamazoo County meeting told commissioners the local child‑care system is failing families and providers and urged county investment to improve access and worker pay.
Emily Britton, public policy manager at YWCA Kalamazoo, described the YWCA as one of the county’s largest site‑based child‑care providers and said in 2024 it served about "140 families and over a 180 children" in downtown and Edison neighborhood facilities. She warned that declining government funding and low pay are pushing providers to the breaking point and forcing…
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