The State of Michigan’s 2026 budget eliminated all $19.4 million in funding for Great Start Collaboratives and Family Coalitions across the state. These organizations not only coordinated early childhood services but also helped young parents learn how to excel in their role as their children’s first teachers.
Jayme Vosovic, community engagement director at the Michigan League for Public Policy, and Allison Keessen, coordinator, Great Start Collaborative of Muskegon County, wrote in a December 2025 Michigan League of Public Policy blog post, “The unexpected elimination of their funding has thrown the 54 collaboratives and family coalitions in Michigan into limbo. Many have already abruptly ended and others are relying on organizational and philanthropic support to remain temporarily operational. Only a few will be able to continue in a scaled-back capacity through the end of the school year in June.”
The Kent County Great Start Collaborative was one of those organizations that abruptly shut down in 2026. As one of only two counties in the state with a dedicated early childhood millage, other early childhood programming remains to fill some of the gaps left by the state funding cuts.
Under the leadership of its president Jennifer Headley-Nordman, First Steps Kent distributes that funding to Kent County organizations providing early childhood services. A board of residents –– including parents, early childhood stakeholders, and county officials –– reviews proposals and decides how funds should be allocated. First Steps Kent’s website also connects families to local early childhood resources…