GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — West Michigan is facing a full-blown child care crisis. Families are struggling to find affordable, accessible care, creating a “child care desert” where parents are forced to choose between staying in the workforce or staying home with their children.
This Saturday, Sept. 13, nearly 200 early childhood educators and child care business owners will gather at the Early Childhood Educator (ECE) Professional Summit at Calvin Prince Conference Center in Grand Rapids.
The daylong summit, hosted by Vibrant Futures, brings together professionals from 26 counties to share strategies, build supportive networks, and engage with state-level solutions aimed at improving compensation, working conditions, and financial stability for early educators…