November 7, 2025
Some early childhood educators in Southwest Michigan may soon receive a financial boost through a $1.6 million grant from the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP) and the Gogebic-Ontonagon Intermediate School District (GOISD).
The grant, awarded to Pulse at the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, is part of Michigan’s broader $16 million Early Childhood Educator Wage Initiative, aimed at strengthening the child care workforce and promoting long-term wage stability.
Beginning January 2026, eligible early childhood educators, including teachers and assistant teachers, will receive monthly stipends of $200 for part-time and $300 for full-time positions. The stipends will continue through August 2027.
According to Kathy Szenda Wilson, Pulse founder and co-executive director, the initiative is part of a larger strategy to address Michigan’s ongoing child care crisis by tackling issues such as low pay, limited career advancement, and high turnover—factors that directly impact the quality and consistency of early learning.
“Ninety-eight percent of all occupations are compensated more than child care workers,” Szenda Wilson said. “Child care is infrastructure and should be funded that way. This wage boost isn’t going to solve the problem, but it will bring temporary relief to those who need it most.”
Pulse will oversee recruitment of child care businesses and professionals, distribution of funds, and data collection for evaluation and quality improvement efforts across the region.
“Investing in early educators is investing in the future of our communities,” Maria Ortiz Borden, Pulse co-executive director added. “This initiative is one step toward creating a more stable, supported, and valued child care workforce.”
Pulse, part of the W.E. Upjohn Institute’s Center for Workforce Innovation and Solutions (CWIS), works to strengthen early childhood systems through data-driven strategies, research-based solutions, and collaborative partnerships that improve childcare access, workforce development, and policy innovation. More information is available at pulseroadmap.org.
The W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization. Since 1945, the Institute has conducted research on labor markets and workforce issues. Through its Center for Workforce Innovation and Solutions (CWIS), the Institute delivers workforce services in Southwest Michigan to expand opportunities for workers and employers for Branch, Calhoun, Kalamazoo, and St. Joseph counties. Through collaborative partnerships and a comprehensive, intersectional approach, CWIS strives to develop and implement high quality services and systemic changes that result in positive impacts for both workers and employers.