There are around 9,000 openings for early childhood educators in the state of Michigan, but it is difficult to fill them because of the shortage of childcare.
The state’s capacity to provide care for children has been negatively impacted as a result of this deficit. Child care is an essential service that is not only essential for the development of young children and their readiness for school, but also essential for the robust Michigan workforce and economy.
This deficit of carers, which was reported by the state in 2024, is applicable to both licensed in-home care services and childcare centres that are specifically licensed to provide care.
Rural populations are facing the most limited options, with a significant portion of the shortage affecting children under the age of three.
Because of the impact that these staff shortages have on children and families, the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at Michigan State University is working to address the problem by offering graduates the opportunity to gain experience and skills through its child development major, which is known as Birth to Kindergarten and Special Education, or BK.
“As the demand for qualified professionals has intensified, our students are rising to the challenge, gaining expertise and hands-on experience at our Child Development Laboratories, and securing in-demand, rewarding positions after graduation,” Andrea Wittenborn, professor and chair of the department stated.
A successful program
The degree program, which is based in the College of Social Science, provides students who are interested in early childhood education with the opportunity to become certified teachers and obtain licenses to teach in classrooms that are designated for infants and toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergarteners.
For instance, during the most recent review period, which lasted from 2021 to 2024, each and every student at MSU BK was successful in passing the state teaching licensure exam.
By participating in the Shared Undergraduate to Master’s Degree Program, often known as the four plus one program, undergraduate students have the opportunity to continue their education past the undergraduate level and into graduate studies.
Keeping up with the demand for jobs
It is anticipated that the population of Michigan will increase by more than 200,000 by the year 2034, which indicates that there will be an increasing demand for early childhood educators.
The employment rate for childcare workers is projected to increase by 2% as of the end of the second quarter of 2025, while the employment rate for preschool instructors is projected to increase by 4.3%.
This is in contrast to the employment rate that decreased by almost 5% between the years 2013 and 2023.
There are already qualified educators graduating from the department who are interested in taking on these open jobs. They bring with them a strong set of abilities as well as an enthusiasm for the profession.
“I hope to make a positive impact on children in the future in my career in early childhood education by providing the first foundational steps of development in all sorts of aspects,” Ava Fredericks, a undergraduate senior stated.
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Through recruitment and awareness initiatives, the department intends to increase the number of students who enrol in the program in order to assist in filling the employment opportunities that are available across the state.
“You can tell the people in this program really want to make sure that the pre-service teachers that are coming in have the best experience that they can and leave here with having as much knowledge as they can,” Kate Logee, a master’s student stated. “This program cares so much about making sure that they’re putting teachers into classrooms because that’s where the most learning can happen, and you can only learn so much in a lecture hall.” Interested individuals who want to learn more can visit the MSU Department of Human Development and Family Studies website.
