We think of scholarships as a way to help more students go to college. But there’s a new scholarship program in Michigan that has nothing to do with college. It offers scholarships to babies.
If you have a baby and you want to have a job, or you need to have a job, you have to find childcare. And childcare costs money—thousands of dollars a year.
If your income is below the federal government’s poverty line—about $24,000 a year for a family of four—the federal government will help you pay for childcare. But if you’re at, say, $28,000 a year, you’re ineligible.
Last week, Judy Samuelson, head of the state's Early Childhood Investment Corporation , announced a new program that would help families who just miss out on getting childcare assistance. It’s called Early Start, and it will be administered through a public charity called the Women’s Caring Program (WCP).
The state is contributing $700,000 to the program.
Listen to the full story on State of Opportunity.