Coffia Delivers Senate Testimony in Support of Affordable Child Care

Coffia Delivers Senate Testimony in Support of Expanding Affordable, Quality Child Care

LANSING, Mich., March 11, 2026 — This week, state Rep. Betsy Coffia (D-Traverse City) testified before the Senate Housing and Human Services Committee in support of Senate Bill 733. As communities across Michigan face a shortage of quality, affordable child care options, this bill — sponsored by state Sen. John Damoose (R-Harbor Springs) — is designed to alleviate these shortages through the implementation and expansion of child care microcenters statewide. 

Coffia and Damoose testified together, along with microcenter concept architect and champion Patricia Soutas-Little, as the microcenter concept has been an ongoing collaborative bipartisan effort. Traverse Connect president and CEO Warren Call and Networks Northwest CEO Janie McNabb also gave testimony in support of the microcenters bill.

After her testimony, Coffia issued the following statement: 

“In the predominantly rural communities I represent, there are three children for every one child care slot. Spaces are even more sparse for infants, who require smaller ratios and more intensive care. Working with Patricia Soutas-Little, the chair of the Leelanau Early Childhood Development Commission, I successfully championed an $800,000 allocation in a previous state budget to support the microcenter pilot program growing in Leelanau County and expanding into Grand Traverse and Benzie counties. 

“This pilot for microcenters has developed a new category of child care. It is an exciting example of the critically-needed innovation the state has asked communities to develop to help address the child care crisis. The microcenter pilot has provided needed flexibility to child care providers and has effectively expanded child care options in our rural northwest Michigan region with three proven microcenters and more to come. Senate Bill 733 aims to bring this successful pilot program statewide. I applaud Sen. Damoose’s efforts as the sponsor and my partner in championing this legislation, which will help support families and businesses in our communities by providing hands-on, quality child care across the state.”

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