Editor’s note: This article initially published in the Detroit Free Press.
More than half (52%) of households in Wayne County are struggling to afford their basic needs. For these families, quality child care can feel like an impossible expense alongside housing, transportation, food and other costs.
According to the most recent ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) Report, care averages around $1,110/month for Michigan families with children.
“I remember everything falling apart after I had my baby,” said Danyelle Winfield of Detroit. “I had nowhere to go and I was experiencing postpartum depression, so I was at a point where I wanted to give up.”
When parents lack child care, their most common solutions were to cut work hours (37%) and take unpaid leave (28%). Both options result in less money available to meet the family’s basic needs.
Some mothers, like Shamirror Moncrief, risk losing their jobs entirely.
“For two weeks, I didn’t have the kids in any daycare, and I almost lost my job,” said Moncrief. “They told me, ‘You’re a great worker, but if you can’t make it in, then we are going to have to take you off the schedule.’
“I was really stressed and looking for help.”
Here to help
Connect4Care Kids helps alleviate the stress of finding child care in Wayne County. With one phone call, Moncrief was connected with a caring representative who provided her with a list of daycare centers in her area.
“She helped me every step of the way and she got my application in,” said Moncrief. “It was just like bam, bam, bam! Everything flowed so smoothly. It was absolutely amazing.”
Many parents with children under age five are eligible for child care cost assistance. Parents can easily check their eligibility online by answering a few questions about their family and income. One call to Connect4Care Kids connects families with four unique low-cost or no-cost early childhood programs.
“When I entered my information, there was a list of places for me to explore,” said Paris Burrell of Dearborn. “I immediately started calling places down the list. I was in a hurry to find the best place for my son.”
Parents can also use the Connect4Care Kids map to search for child care providers in Wayne County. The interactive map can filter locations within a selected radius by programs offered and quality levels.
“I found my daycare home through Connect4Care Kids,” said Winfield. “My son is at a safe daycare that has live streaming where I can see him on camera, and it also works around my work schedule.”
Making care accessible
The ALICE Report is a stark reminder that many families in our community are one crisis away from disaster. United Way provides a safety net of support to help families shift from surviving to thriving and achieve long-term stability.
“Childcare is an absolute necessity for ALICE families to thrive,” said Jeff Miles, vice president, Community Impact at United Way for Southeastern Michigan. “But for many, quality childcare is either too hard to find or too expensive— that’s what prompted United Way and the City of Detroit to launch Connect4Care Kids.”
ALICE data reveals that 73% of single-female-headed families in Wayne County earn below the ALICE budget threshold of $83,736, compared to 16% of married-parent families.
“As a recent divorcee, it’s very difficult to transition from being married to being single with children,” said Cashia Thomas of Detroit. “With this platform, United Way put everything in one central location for me to seek out and access the resources— a tremendous help.”
“United Way has really created a safety net for parents,” said Thomas.
Connect4Care Kids services are available 24/7 in English, Spanish and Arabic at Connect4CareKids.org, by texting KIDS to 42273 or by calling (313) 395-3776.