Michigan Offers a Variety of Early Education Programs

by Lindy Buch, Supervisor, Office of Early Childhood Education and Family Services, Michigan Department of Education

Recent research shows that children who attend high-quality preschool programs can often overcome personal, familial, or community barriers to their learning. Many families consider preschool as important a part of their children’s education as college will be. Families often choose classroom preschool programs in addition to other forms of care for their children, whether parents are working or not.

In Michigan, families have a number of preschool program options from which to choose:

• Head Start is a federally-funded program for three-and four-year-olds whose families meet income guidelines or who have disabilities and could benefit from an inclusive program. Head Start provides preschool programs as well as comprehensive health, dental, parenting education, and family services to its participants. National studies of Head Start and similar programs indicate that high-quality programs help children succeed when they enter school and throughout their lives. Although many programs operate on a part-day, school-year schedule, some offer full-day options or wraparound services* for working families. Early Head Start services are available in some counties for children younger than three. Contact the Michigan Head Start Association at www.mhsa.ws or call (517) 374-6472 to find a local program.

• The Michigan School Readiness Program (MSRP), Michigan’s state-funded “pre- kindergarten program,” serves four-year-olds who have conditions in their lives that may interfere with their school success, but who do not qualify for Head Start or cannot enroll in Head Start because local programs are full. MSRP classrooms are funded for part-day, school-year activities, although some combine with other services to meet the needs of working families. A statewide evaluation of MSRP prepared by the High/Scope Educational Research Foundation found that children who attend MSRP are much more likely than children with similar conditions in their lives to enter kindergarten ready to succeed in school, and the advantage persists at least through the fourth grade. MSRP programs are operated by local school districts and agencies. Call your local or intermediate school district (ISD) to see if an agency program is operating in your area.

• Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) programs and services are available for three-to five-year-olds whose individualized education program (IEP) indicates the need. Most programs offer part-day, school-year services. Local and ISD special education departments can help in finding programs.

• Private preschool and child-care programs are available in most communities in Michigan. Programs vary widely from parent cooperative preschools to programs that are part of nationwide corporations. Many school districts offer preschool programs through their community education programs. Religious groups, commu nity organizations, and others also offer programs. Programs may vary from one or two two-hour sessions per week to 60 hours per week. Class room programs must be licensed by the Michigan Family Independence Agency (FIA). FIA also offers tuition subsidies for families that meet certain guidelines. Many child care centers also serve infants, toddlers, and school-age children so that a child can continue over time in a familiar program, and all the children in the family can be served at a single site. Help in finding licensed programs and applying for subsidies is available at www.michigan.gov/fia (click on assistance programs, day care, then parent resources).

With so many options, finding the right program—one that meets a child’s needs for stimulation and interaction with other children and the family’s need for child care—can be confusing. The Michigan Community Coordinated Child Care (4C) Association and its local affiliates can help families find programs that meet their needs. Although all programs must be state licensed, some programs opt to achieve a higher quality standard through national accreditation. Search for nationally-accredited programs by location at www.naeyc.org/accreditation/center_search.asp or contact Michigan 4Cs at www.mi4c.org.

For more information, contact: Lindy Buch, Office of Early Childhood Education and Family Services, Michigan Department of Education, P.O. Box 30008, Lansing, MI 48909, (517) 373-8483, BuchL@michigan.gov.

*Wraparound services include additional time and programming to extend a part-day, part-week preschool child development experience to meet family needs for child care.

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