Child Care Subsidies & Assistance in Michigan
Michigan's CDC Scholarship covers families up to ~200% FPL at entry and ~85% SMI at exit, with no statewide waitlist and many low-income families paying $0 copay. GSRP (PreK for All) is universal for every 4-year-old as of 2025-26. Michigan has no state CDCC.
Data current as of May 21, 2026
Child care subsidy (CCDF) in Michigan
- Program name
- Child Development and Care (CDC) Scholarship
- Administered by
- Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP), administered with MDHHS
- Income ceiling
- Up to approximately 200% of the federal poverty level at initial entry; families remain eligible up to approximately 85% State Median Income at redetermination/exit. Specific dollar thresholds by family size are published in the MiLEAP CDC Income Eligibility Scale and MDHHS RFT 270.
- Family fee / copay
- Sliding-scale Family Contribution deducted biweekly from the provider payment, set by income and family size. Lowest-income tiers have a $0 family contribution following recent reforms. Federal guidance targets a 7% cap; Michigan does not publish a single explicit numeric cap.
- Waitlist status
- No typical waitlist — No statewide waitlist. Michigan reported record CDC Scholarship enrollment of approximately 47,500 children as of March 2026 (announced April 2026), processed without a queue. Eligibility decisions typically take up to 30 days after documents are received.
State pre-K in Michigan
- Program name
- Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP) — branded "PreK for All"
- Administered by
- MiLEAP; delivered through local Intermediate School Districts (ISDs)
- Access
- Universal
- Eligibility
- Universal for all Michigan 4-year-olds as of 2025-26 — every age-eligible 4-year-old (4 by December 1) is eligible. Enrollment priority for families at or below 400% of the federal poverty level (~$128,000 for a family of four).
- Coverage
- Approximately 55,000 children enrolled — more than double 2021 levels. Available statewide through participating ISDs and Great Start to Quality.
State tax credits & extras in Michigan
- State CDCC
- Michigan does not offer a state Child and Dependent Care Credit. Michigan does not offer a state Child and Dependent Care Credit. House Bill 4055 (2025-26 session) would create a state child tax credit equal to 50% of the federal credit (~$1,100/child) but has not passed as of May 2026. The federal CDCC (Form 2441) remains available.
Other state programs and credits
- MI Tri-Share Child CareState, employer, and employee each pay one-third of licensed child care cost for working families up to 400% FPL (~$128,600 for a family of four). Requires a participating employer. MI Care-Share, a companion program for non-employer-based workers, launched November 2025.
Where to apply or get help in Michigan
- Find a licensed daycare in MichiganChildery directory — quality ratings, ZIP & city search
- Michigan child care portalwww.michigan.gov/mileap/early-childhood-education/early-learners-and-care/cdc
- Eligibility screenernewmibridges.michigan.gov/
- Combined benefits applicationnewmibridges.michigan.gov/
- Michigan 211 (dial 2-1-1)www.mi211.org/
- Apply via MI Bridgesnewmibridges.michigan.gov/
- GSRP / PreK for All — MiLEAPwww.michigan.gov/mileap/early-childhood-education/prek-for-all
- MI Tri-Share Child Carewww.michigan.gov/mileap/press-releases/2025/06/03/mileap-expands-mi-tri-share-child-care-program-to-support-more-working-families
- Federal childcare.gov — Michigan resourceschildcare.gov/state-resources/michigan
Find a daycare in Michigan
Once you know what you qualify for, Childery's directory helps you pick a provider. Browse Michigan's licensed daycares with independent Process and Structural quality ratings, or search by ZIP code or city.
Browse Michigan daycaresSources
- Michigan CDC Scholarship — MiLEAP
- CDC Income Eligibility Scale (MiLEAP PDF)
- MDHHS RFT 270 — CDC Income Eligibility Scale and Provider Rates
- MiLEAP April 2026 record-enrollment release (~47,000 children) (2026)
- GSRP / PreK for All — MiLEAP
- GSRP 2025-26 Expanded Income Eligibility Guidelines (PDF) (2025)
- Tax Credits for Workers and Families — Michigan (confirms no state CDCC)
- Federal childcare.gov — Michigan resources
Every state layers its own program on top of a federal floor — CCDF (the federal block grant), Head Start, the federal DCFSA (employer pre-tax benefit), and the federal Child and Dependent Care Credit. See the federal overview for what the floor looks like before any state adds.