Child care in Michigan

In his April 2011 special message on education reform, Gov. Rick Snyder extolled early childhood education as an economic engine for the state. The speech was 13 pages long. He could have made the same point by just introducing legislators to Lilly Wolf. Lilly attended the state-funded Great Start Readiness Program last year in Hartford […]

On a warm summer evening, an ice cream truck moved slowly through a blue collar neighborhood of Holland, offering free ice cream — and free preschool. As children ran to the truck, Ready For School volunteers pulling red wagons offered bilingual Clifford the Red Dog books and fliers promoting early childhood education. Ice cream trucks […]

Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Roger Kahn, R-Saginaw Township, made headlines recently when he proposed adding $140 million to the 2013-14 budget for state-funded preschool. Bridge spoke to him about his proposal, the hurdles the proposal might face and why he’s become an outspoken advocate for early childhood education. Bridge: You proposed $140 million in additional funding […]

Momentum is growing for groundbreaking improvements to Michigan’s public preschool programs. Statewide business leaders are leading the way. “It’s become clear to the business community there are thousands of job openings going unfilled for lack of people with adequate skills,” said William Parfet, chairman and CEO of MPI Research in Mattawan and a member of […]

Xavier Eaton is a lucky boy. The Battle Creek child not only got a coveted spot in the state’s free preschool program (Great Start) last year as a 4-year-old, but was in a classroom for a full day, rather than a half-day. Studies indicate he likely is better prepared for kindergarten this fall because he […]

For Joanne Kelty, the economics of Michigan’s preschool program become more vexing each year. She supervises a program for Grand Rapids Public Schools considered to be a model for the state, with vocal support from the district’s superintendent and school board. Yet every year, the district has fewer 4-year-olds in class. “I hold my breath […]

Every morning, a bus picked up 5-year-old kindergartners a block from the Middleton family home in Walker and took them to a Kenowa Hills school. Every morning, Kelly Middleton packed up 4-year-old Seamus and drove him to the very same school. “I’ve seen buses go by,” Middleton said. “When it’s winter and you don’t want […]

The education of Jordan Shaw will start a year later because she lives in Michigan. The Canton girl was in a private preschool program last year as a 3-year-old. But after Jordan’s little brother was born, her parents could no longer afford it. “Preschool gives them good learning skills. (But) trying to pay for her […]