Two recent federal audits, as well as national studies of state child care licensing requirements and enforcement, concluded that Michigan must provide more frequent on-site monitoring of child care centers and homes to ensure that providers comply with basic health and safety regulations, including criminal record and protective services background checks for employees. One major reason for Michigan's failure to provide adequate oversight of child care is that the state's child care inspectors have caseloads that are more than three times the nationally recommended standard. The result is that many Michigan parents seeking child care cannot feel confident that the care they find is consistently safe and in compliance with licensing requirements. (author abstract)