Finding Common Ground for Michigan’s Children and Families

• Supporting children and families is a shared priority that can help bridge political and sector divides in Michigan. 
• Affordability and child care challenges are not only household issues. They are workforce and economic competitiveness issues for Michigan. 
• Progress will require cross-sector leadership, practical policy solutions, and a shared commitment to family stability. 

At a time of deep political polarization, one thing is becoming clear: when children and families thrive, Michigan thrives. 

That message anchored “Building Common Ground Across Michigan With Children and Families at the Center,” a panel at the 2026 Mackinac Policy Conference that brought together leaders from philanthropy, business, and policy to examine the urgency of the moment and the opportunity to act. 

Opening the session, W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s Yazeed Moore framed the conversation around a unifying premise: “When we center children and families, common ground becomes not only possible but necessary.” 

Panelists reinforced that while priorities like safe neighborhoods, quality schools, and economic stability are broadly shared, the systems designed to support families are falling short, and the consequences are measurable. 

The Michigan League for Public Policy’s Monique Stanton outlined the scale of financial strain facing families: 

• 13% of Michiganians live in poverty 
• 41% are not earning a “survival budget” 
• Food prices are up 27%, according to the Detroit Regional Chamber’s 2026 State of the Region report, while housing costs continue to climb 

“Parents and kids have barely enough to survive, let alone thrive,” Stanton said, pointing to a safety net that is “quickly dismantled” as demand increases for support. 

Elliot Haspel of Capita shared complementary data showing Michigan families experience higher levels of financial stress than the national average, with more parents taking on debt, working additional hours, and reporting feelings of depression or hopelessness. 

“A state is only as strong as its families,” Haspel said, emphasizing that economic and social outcomes are fundamentally rooted in family stability. 

While much of the conversation focused on policy, Duncan Aviation’s Andy Richards brought the subject into focus for employers. 

Richards detailed how his company has invested in family-supportive benefits, including flexible scheduling, dependent care support, and an on-site clinic offering low-cost care for employees and their families. 

But the motivation goes beyond benefits — it’s about workforce sustainability. 

Through employee listening sessions, Duncan Aviation uncovered rising child care challenges, including waitlists stretching up to one or two years and costs exceeding $500 per week for some families. 

The business implications are significant: when child care becomes unstable, employees miss work, attrition increases, and workforce participation and productivity suffer. 

“This is a workforce development issue … that’s affecting the state,” Richards said. 

In response, Duncan Aviation has expanded its role beyond the workplace, partnering with regional coalitions and investing in community-based child care solutions. 

“It’s time for employers to step up and take part in this action,” he added. 

Across the panel, speakers emphasized that solutions exist, but progress often stalls due to fragmentation and politics. 

Stanton pointed to proven approaches, including: 

• Cash-based supports, such as the child tax credit 
• Direct cash initiatives like Rx Kids 
• Investments in child care, health care, and nutrition access 

“It doesn’t have to be a trade-off,” she said. “Families, whether you’re red or blue, Democrat, Republican, or Independent, want support. These don’t have to be partisan issues.” 

Haspel reinforced that policy success depends not just on ideas, but on how they’re framed and advanced. He noted that change happens when three factors align: a clearly defined and resonant problem, a viable solution, and political alignment. 

He also challenged leaders to think beyond siloed policies and instead adopt a broader “family policy” lens, connecting issues like child care, scheduling, housing, and wages into a cohesive strategy. 

“We don’t talk about family policy as much as we talk about discrete policies,” Haspel said, noting that families experience these challenges holistically. 

Despite differences in ideology or sector, panelists consistently returned to shared values: 

• Stability and predictability for families 
• Time and space for parents to engage with their children 
• Access to basic needs, including housing, health care, food, and child care 

“Poverty and struggling families aren’t partisan,” Stanton said. “If you’re living in poverty, you could be on either side of the aisle.” 

That shared understanding creates a foundation for collaboration, particularly in a “purple state” like Michigan, where bipartisan policy wins, such as Medicaid expansion and tax credit expansions, have demonstrated that progress is possible. 

This session was hosted by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.