Early Education Matters

Federal SNAP changes threaten little Michiganders’ food access and future

Good nutrition lays the foundation for physical growth, brain development, and school readiness.

Innovation and advocacy: Building the early childhood workforce

If implemented, the many innovative solutions for building the early childhood workforce could have phenomenal results.

Do child care challenges differ for urban and rural families?

While geography shapes experience, families face similar struggles finding child care.

"We believe this center can serve as a demonstration site for what’s possible when a community chooses to invest in its children and its caregivers," says Jennifer Wixson, NCMC’s Early Childhood Education program coordinator.
New early learning center to show ‘what’s possible’ in childcare from this Petoskey campus

"We believe this center can serve as a demonstration site for what’s possible when a community chooses to invest in its children and its caregivers," says Jennifer Wixson, NCMC’s Early Childhood Education program coordinator.

Monica Smith, Yevgenia Gazman, and Christine Sauvé, MIRC Detroit Office.
الهجمات على العائلات المهاجرة وما تعنيه لتعليم الطفولة المبكرة

في عام 2024، لاحظ معلمو الطفولة المبكرة في جنوب غرب ديترويت انخفاضًا كبيرًا في تسجيل الأطفال في مرحلة ما قبل المدرسة، وذلك بعد تصاعد نشاط تنفيذ قوانين الهجرة. وعلى الرغم من أن هذا الانخفاض لم يتم توثيقه رسميًا في ذلك الوقت، أفادت منظمات مجتمعية أن ما يقارب 15٪ من الطلاب تم سحبهم من برامج ما قبل المدرسة في المنطقة خلال أسابيع قليلة.

Ryan Yates, dad and Duncan Aviation engine line technician.
Early care and education: A boon for children, families and the economy

Expanding access to affordable, high-quality early care and education could support working parents, strengthen the state’s labor market, and promote gender equity.

Julie Molenda
SBAM Nurture Benefits program enhances compensation for child care providers

The Small Business Association of Michigan Nurture Benefits will expand access to health insurance, life insurance, and retirement savings for Michigan's child care providers.  

Head Start and similar programs build academic skills as well as social and emotional strengths. 
60 years of Head Start. What’s next?

As Head Start marked its 60th anniversary this past May, the program’s legacy stands as more than a historical benchmark. It offers a powerful example of how early learning can drive equity, resilience, and long-term impact. 

Rx Kids has provided for the Wright family stability during an unpredictable time.
More than a stipend: Rx Kids is transforming childhood beginnings

Rx Kids, the country’s first universal and unconditional cash prescription program for pregnant people and infants, provides financial support to every eligible family within a geographic area, no income requirements, no strings attached. Families receive a one-time $1,500 payment during pregnancy and $500 per month during the baby’s first year of life.  

Shelley Roossien, Accessibility and Inclusion Specialist at KDL, leads children through a building exercise.
Inclusive Literacy Alliance fosters early reading in Kent County kids with developmental differences

The Inclusive Literacy Alliance is a collaborative, county-wide effort to improve early reading outcomes for children with developmental differences. Parents, educators, service providers, and advocates are piloting solutions that make early literacy more accessible and effective for children who are blind or low vision, deaf or hard of hearing, or autistic.

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