building a path to economic stability

People living with economic instability are more likely to behave in ways that endanger their health — at times even causing chronic health conditions and premature mortality. The Michigan Health Improvement Alliance prioritizes and supports the work of partners who are taking concrete action to help individuals and families gain ground on economic stability.

Initiatives we’re supporting

Childcare Innovation

MiHIA convened a childcare advisory board to lead a multi-step initiative to stabilize and grow childcare infrastructure within the City of Bay City that is culminating in a partnership with United Way of Bay County to remodel part of their downtown location to open a childcare facility serving the ALICE population.

Funded through a portion the City of Bay City’s American Rescue Plan Act allocation, this project addressed the lack of childcare availability in Bay City by providing small grants to childcare providers to advance the stability, expansion, and increased quality of childcare in Bay City and by creating an incentive program for McLaren Bay Region to pilot the Tri-Share Program.

Project Partners:

Bay-Arenac ISD
Great Start to Quality Resource Center
The WELL Outreach
United Way of Bay County
McLaren Bay Region
Data-Driven Decisions (D3)
Molitor International

Learn More about this Project

Northeast Michigan Healthy Food Initiative

The Northeast Michigan (NEMI) Healthy Food Initiative, fiscally sponsored by MiHIA, supports health and rural economic development by expanding markets for locally grown food, building small farm capacity, removing barriers to healthy food access, and building awareness of policy issues that contribute to the overall health and wellbeing in NE Michigan.

MiHIA supports the NEMI Healthy Food Initiative with a Michigan Health Endowment Fund grant and two USDA-funded grants all with the aim to increase access to healthy, locally-grown food in rural NE Michigan.

Project Goals:

Build the capacity and ownership for Farm to School educational activities and local food procurement.
Connect regional farmers to healthy food market channels.
Convene a regional collaborative to assess farmers markets for expanded opportunities and marketing, aiming to increase sales for small farms and increase market patronage, resulting in more residents purchasing healthy, locally-grown food.
Encourage more seniors and customers to utilize available nutritional assistance programs and other purchasing incentives.
Increase community access to locally produced foods by expanding produce prescription programming.