The Foundation is suing to end the DHS' illegal diversion of so-called "union dues" from state subsidy checks received by home-based day care providers who watch children from low-income families. The "dues" are funneled to a government-employee union that purports to represent more than 40,000 of Michigan's home-based day care providers, who are actually private business owners and independent contractors.

Informational Materials Latest Release: State Ducks Central Question News Release: Appeal to Michigan Supreme Court News Release: Motion for Reconsideration News Release: Court Dismisses Without Explanation News Release: Determine Case on Merits News Release: Response to DHS Motion Launch Release Case Summary MCLF Filings on Behalf of Day Care Owners 05/10/10 Plaintiffs' Reply Brief in Support of Application for Leave to Appeal 03/24/10 Application for Leave to Appeal to the Michigan Supreme Court 01/20/10 Plaintiffs' Motion for Reconsideration 10/28/09 Answer to Defendants' Motion to Dismiss 10/28/09 Brief in Support of Answer to Motion to Dismiss 10/21/09 Amended Complaint for Writ of Mandamus 09/16/09 Complaint for Writ of Mandamus 09/16/09 Brief in Support of Original Action for Mandamus Amicus Briefs on Behalf of Day Care Owners 04/12/10 Amicus Curiae Brief Filed by the American Civil Rights Union 04/05/10 Amicus Curiae Brief Filed by the National Federation of Independent Business DHS Legal Filings 04/20/10 Brief in Opposition to Supreme Court Application 11/06/09 Reply Supporting Motion to Dismiss 10/28/09 Brief Opposing Amended Complaint 10/12/09 Motion to Dismiss 10/12/09 Brief in Support of Motion to Dismiss Court Docket Find the official status of the case here. The Michigan Court of Appeals denied the Mackinac Center's Complaint for Mandamus here.

The Granholm-AFSCME Partnership Click here for more videos. For a map of other day care union arrangements around the United States, click here. Loar v. DHS in the News Unions want baby sitters declared public employees. Washington Examiner. 8/6/10 Forced unionization of independent daycare workers in Michigan – the 'babygate bottle cry' continues. Examiner.com. 6/1/10 Forced Unionization in Michigan: Stealing Candy from a Baby. Townhall. 5/7/10 More Proof Big Labor's Unionizations Costs Jobs. Townhall. 5/1/10 Forced unionization unfair to home-based day care owners. The Macomb Daily. 4/26/10 Union offered home day care providers pay, benefits. Detroit Free Press. 4/20/10 Protests lodged with courts. Detroit Free Press. 4/20/10 State Reps Joining Day Care Union Case. Michigan Capitol Confidential. 4/18/10 Some day cares feel railroaded into UAW. The Oakland Press. 4/11/10 N.F.I.B. Joins Lawsuit Over Day Care Providers. Gongwer News Service. 4/6/10 Abandon this day-care 'union' scheme. Lansing State Journal. 3/31/10 Michigan day care providers appeal union suit. Lansing State Journal. 3/25/10 3 day care operators sue to leave union. Detroit Free Press. 3/25/10 Mackinac Center appeals 'Forced Unionism' Case. NBC25. 3/24/10 Petoskey day care heads to MI Supreme Court. Petoskey News-Review. 3/24/10 Child care agency still receives payments after being defunded by Michigan legislature. Livingston Daily. 3/22/10 Forced unionization: Lawmakers should look into state's collusion in organizing babysitters. The Detroit News. 3/22/10 Marybeth Hicks: Union pushes day care diktat. The Washington Times 3/3/10 Whose Business Is It Anyway? Fox News 2/11/10 "This is shocking" (audio). Rush Limbaugh 2/12/10 Forced Unionization. John Stossel 2/11/10 State Group Operating After Funds Were Cut. WLNS TV 6 2/5/10 Health-care unionizing bill creates ire. Livingston Daily 2/4/10 Who Will Be Next to Get Unionized? Livingston Daily 1/22/10 Home child care providers still say they were forced into a union. Flint Journal 1/18/10 No Way, E.J. Weekly Standard 1/18/10 State forces day care providers into union. Livingston Daily 1/15/10 Brighton Day Care Provider at Center of Lawsuit Against DHS. WHMI 93.5 FM 1/11/10 Appeals court dismisses child-care subsidy suit. Midland Daily News 1/7/10 Appeals court dismisses union dues day care case. Petoskey News-Review 1/6/10 'Forced unionism' lawsuit dismissed. WEYI NBC 25 1/5/10 Court tosses suit filed by Michigan day care providers. Lansing State Journal 1/5/10 Day Care Loses Court Case Over Union Representation. WNEM TV5 1/5/10 Daycare Dues. WILX10 1/5/10 Lawsuit against Department of Human Services on behalf of Flint daycare provider dismissed. Flint Journal 1/5/10 Hijacking the Private Sector, the SEIU and Blago Way. BigGovernment.com 1/2/10 Stealth Unionization. The Weekly Standard 12/28/09 Flint daycare provider's interest in staying out of UAW brings attention from Fox, Wall Street Journal. Flint Journal 12/28/09 UAW: What We Did for Cars, We'll Do for Your Kids. John Stossel 12/27/09 Family News in Focus (audio). Focus on the Family 12/26/09 Michigan Forces Business Owners Into Public Sector Unions. The Wall Street Journal 12/25/09 Mackinac Center Legal Foundation Case Proceeding. Dallas Morning News 12/21/09 SEIU and the Law of Intended Consequences. BigGovernment.com 11/24/09 Day Care Workers Fight Union. ABC7 Detroit 11/2/09 Flint childcare provider joins lawsuit. Flint Journal 10/18/09 Center suit against DHS questions union dues. Petoskey News-Review 10/14/09 DHS files motion to throw out Center case. NBC25 10/13/09 First, the unions came for home-care providers ... Michelle Malkin 10/5/09 Editorial cites MCLF suit. Detroit News 9/21/09 Center files lawsuit over union dues. Petoskey News-Review 9/21/09 Center sues DHS over union dues. Flint Journal 9/19/09 Patrick Wright interviewed about Center lawsuit. Detroit Public TV 9/18/09 Center sues over forced unionization. WEYI-TV25 9/18/09 Mackinac Center Legal Foundation highlighted. Washington Times 9/17/09 Center Legal Foundation files first lawsuit. Lansing State Journal 9/17/09 Center Legal Foundation sues DHS. Detroit Free Press 9/17/09 Center Legal Foundation sues over union dues. Reporting Michigan 9/17/09 Patrick Wright discusses Mackinac Center Legal Foundation. WJR 9/16/09 Center Legal Foundation files suit against state. Gongwer (pdf) 9/16/09 Center law firm files first suit over illegal union dues. Detroit News 9/16/09 Center Legal Foundation lawsuit over union dues. MIRS (pdf) 9/16/09 Center Legal Foundation Sues State Over Union Dues. WJRT-TV12 Flint 9/16/09 DHS sued over illegal union dues. Lansing State Journal 9/16/09 Center Legal Foundation files first lawsuit. Michigan Public Radio 9/16/09 Mackinac Center Legal Foundation cited. WATZ Alpena 9/16/09