Childcare isn't just a family issue — it's an economic development issue. A report from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, produced in partnership with the Grand Rapids Chamber and Michigan Chamber of Commerce, found that childcare challenges cost Michigan's economy an estimated $2.88 billion annually through employer losses from turnover and absenteeism and lost state tax revenue. Closer to home, a 2024 regional assessment by the Early Childhood Education Task Force of the Upper Peninsula found that in much of the U.P., there are three or more children competing for every licensed childcare spot — and in some areas, no licensed spots at all. Over half of U.P. families surveyed were spending more than double the federally defined threshold for "affordable" childcare, and employers reported that childcare challenges were driving absenteeism, turnover, and lost recruitment. Addressing childcare supply is essential to attracting and retaining the workforce our communities need to grow.