During the 2022-2023 school year, about 3,100 Kent County 4-year-olds took part in free pre-K through the State of Michigan’s Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP). To qualify, their families had to meet income restrictions. Since then, GSRP has been transformed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s PreK for All initiative. Now that income restrictions have been abolished, an estimated 6,000 Kent County 4-year-olds and their families will benefit this school year.
“Anytime a child has an opportunity to participate in early learning, especially if it’s free, it’s a win-win for the child as well as for the community,” says Jennifer Headley-Nordman, president of First Steps Kent. “Children are curious by nature. They want to learn. They want to understand the world around them. For parents, it provides some additional opportunity for childcare. So it helps from an economic standpoint. Also the school community sees the benefit when that child enters kindergarten.”
Kent County’s GSRP classrooms are currently housed in 170 public schools, 14 private schools, and 127 community-based organizations.
“Children have improved literacy and numeracy skills when they’ve participated in schooling prior to kindergarten, as well as being more-aware of routines, schedules, and the types of activities that take place within a school setting,” Headley-Nordman says…