Speaking for Kids, the podcast from Michigan’s Children

Join Matt Gillard, President and CEO of Michigan's Children, as he engages in a candid conversation with Jeff Cobb, Director of Government Affairs at Education Trust-Midwest, on the pressing need for equity in education funding. Delving into the Opportunity Index—a proposed funding formula inspired by successful models like Massachusetts—the discussion highlights the importance of prioritizing resources for districts serving low socioeconomic backgrounds and minority students.Gillard and Cobb advocate for increased investment in education, stressing the long-term benefits and cost savings associated with improving educational outcomes. They draw parallels between Michigan and Massachusetts' academic success, emphasizing the need for strategic investments to narrow the gap. Despite recent progress, they call for continued efforts to fully fund the Opportunity Index and double funding for English learners, setting Michigan on a path toward greater opportunity and prosperity for all.

Michigan’s Children’s Matt Gillard sits down with Jeff Capizzano, President of the Policy Equity Group, to talk frankly about Governor Whitmer’s “PreK for All” plan now that expanding free 4-year-old preschool is moving closer to becoming reality with major state funding outlined in Whitmer’s proposed FY2025 budget recommendations. They discuss the plan’s “roadmap” for quickly expanding the state-funded preschool program at no cost to families, regardless of household income, while guarding against negatively impacting enrollment counts of private-pay, community-based child care providers. 

Capizzano, whose Washington, D.C. firm was hired by the Governor's office to work on an implementation strategy, said the final recommendations represent a comprehensive strategy to better compensate early childhood educators, support the varied needs of families, and maintain viable privately owned child care businesses. He warned against “cherry picking” certain recommendations over others.

To debrief Governor Whitmer’s 2024 State of the State address,

Michigan’s Children’s Speaking for Kids Podcast Host Matt Gillard

welcomes back two veteran Lansing lobbyists who have spent their careers

working on children’s issues in Michigan. Specifically, they look at what she

plans to champion on behalf of kids & families in the second year of her

second term in office. Listen in and learn how you can raise your voice for

the issues you care about. Returning guests are Andrea M. Cascarilla,

Government Policy Advisor, Dykema; and Matt Kurta, Partner, Karoub

Associates.

In the December episode of Speaking for Kids, the Podcast, Michigan’s Children’s host Matt Gillard welcomes Gongwer News Service Managing Editor Alethia Kasben to talk about the accomplishments and shortcomings of the Michigan Legislature’s 2023 legislative year. Among big investments for kids and families were greater family tax relief through the expanded earned income tax credit, the adoption of free school meals, expanded free PreK for 4 year olds, and $50 million for afterschool programming. Also discussed were a few key issues that didn’t make it to the finish line, including paid family and medical leave. Listen or watch it today.

Michigan’s Children President & CEO Matt Gillard welcomes state Rep. Jasper Martus to the Speaking for Kids podcast to discuss efforts to advance making paid family medical leave mandatory in Michigan. The Genesee County Democrat is a point person in the House on the issue and has introduced a measure calling for an actuarial cost study to keep the issue moving forward into the new Legislative year. Lawmakers are expected to finish the current session next week without action on the promising bill hailed by family advocates including Michigan’s Children and favored by Governor Gretchen Whitmer.

As Advocates from the Michigan Kinship Care Coalition (MKCC) gathering for aLegislative Day in Lansing to address state lawmakers, host Matt Gillard talks totwo guests about the changes needed to assist more kinship parents in raisingchildren outside the formal foster care system. Joining him this month areStephanie Armendariz, senior policy analyst, Chapin Hall at the University ofChicago, and author of the new research brief, Diverting Children from Foster toKinship Care: The Issue and the Evidence; and, Deborah Frisbie, co-chair ofMKCC’s Policy & Advocacy Committee. The advocacy group Generations Unitedestimates that for every one child being raised by kin who are registered as formalfoster parents with government support and services, there are 18 kids beingraised by relatives under informal arrangements and absent necessary services.

Speaking for Kids podcast host Matt Gillard from Michigan’s Children talks with three top state advocates about the sizeable funding wins in the new FY24 state budget for afterschool programming, services for homeless and runaway youths, and adult education and literacy help. Listen in as Matt welcomes Patrick Brown, Executive Director of the Michigan Adult, Community and Alternative Education Association; Ben Moe, President, of Michigan Network for Youth and Families; and Erin Skene-Pratt, Executive Director, of Michigan Afterschool Partnership. Hear what these unprecedented and historic funding increases mean for real service improvements and outcomes for youth and families, what made the difference in budget advocacy this year, and the lessons advocates can take away from these important new successes.

Speaking for Kids podcast host Matt Gillard talks inside politics around the FY24 State Budget with two veteran Lansing lobbyists. As state budget negotiations begin winding down to a conclusion next month, Matt welcomes two Capitol insiders experienced in the fight for children’s issues to discuss what the new fiscal year’s budget holds for kids and families. What do the latest state revenue estimates mean for programs and services we care about most? And how can advocates follow through on these issues? Listen in as Matt welcomes Andrea Cascarilla from the Government Policy and Practice Group at Dykema, a leading law firm, and Matt Kurta, a long-standing partner with Karoub and Associates.

Speaking for Kids host Matt Gillard speaks with Sen. Rosemary Bayer about bills in the Michigan Legislature that she and other Democrats have sponsored to reform gun laws as the state deals with the aftermath of the mass shooting on campus at Michigan State University in February. They are joined by MSU Senior Dylan Gebhard, active in the Sit Down MSU and Students Demand Action movement in this podcast.

Michigan’s Children’s Speaking for Kids Host Matt Gillard explores Governor

Gretchen Whitmer’s “universal PreK plan” to expand access and eligibility to the

state’s Great Start Readiness Program to all interested families of 4-year-olds.

Presented in the Governor’s recent State of the State address, it’s a bold plan that

has raised interest and some concern among early childhood providers and

advocates. Listen in as Matt welcomes Dawne Bell, CEO of Michigan’s Early

Childhood Investment Corporation, one of the state’s leading voices on early care

and education, and Jeff Capizanno, founder of the Washington, D.C.-based Policy

Equity Group. Capizanno is working with Michigan’s early childhood community

to evaluate how to implement the proposal in Michigan.