Houghton County board approves $79,000 one‑year childcare pilot after 4–1 vote

The Houghton County Board of Commissioners approved a one‑year, $79,000 pilot to support in‑home childcare providers after a 4–1 roll call vote on Dec. 12.

Iola Brubaker, who proposed adapting a Marquette‑area in‑home program for Houghton County, told the board the plan would include a 17‑year‑veteran coach to mentor new providers and aims to recruit about 12 providers who could serve an estimated 100–200 children. Brubaker said she has outreach lists of about 600 interested parents each on email and Facebook and described the proposal as a three‑year model for which she requested a one‑year startup award.

The pilot was moved by Commissioner Glenn Anderson and seconded by Commissioner Roy Britz. The motion carried 4–1; Commissioner Joel Keranen cast the lone no vote. The record shows Commissioners Anderson, Britz, Tikkanen and Janssen voted yes and Keranen voted no.

In presenting the proposal, Brubaker acknowledged the project lacks a longer‑term sustainability plan and said additional planning would be required if the county approved further funding beyond the pilot year. The board did not adopt a multi‑year funding commitment; the approved funding covers the one‑year plan only.

The approval follows a public comment from Benjamin Naasko urging the board to approve the Childcare Initiative during the agenda‑item comment period.

Next steps recorded in the meeting minutes indicate staff and the program lead will proceed with the one‑year plan under the approved funding; any future funding or program changes would return to the board for consideration.