Early Childhood Resources

Michigan's Children Reports

Issues for Michigan's Children Report Update on State and Federal Early Childhood Developments (6/30/2011)

Budget Basics Report Investments in Early Childhood in Michigan Update (6/21/2011)

Budget Basics Report Investments in Early Childhood in Michigan: Fiscal Year 2012 Highlights (4/27/2011)

Issues for Michigan's Children Report Great Start Collaboratives in Michigan (4/11/2011)

Budget Basics Report Investments in Early Childhood in Michigan: A Summary of Programs and Funding Trends (3/31/11)

Budget Basics Report Investments in Early Childhood in Michigan: Executive Summary (3/31/11)

Budget Basics Report Investments in Early Learning in Michigan: A Summary (3/17/2011).

Early Childhood Talking Points

Primer on Early Education

P-20 Primer on the prenatal to age 20 educational continuum

The Youngest Victims: Why Young Children are Hardest Hit by State Budget Cuts (September 2010)

Archived Early Childhood Action Network Emails

Other Resources

First Five Years Fund Video Early Learning Matters (3/25/2011)

Citizen's Research Council of Michigan report Early Childhood Education (February 2011).

Center for Michigan SPECIAL REPORT: Don't count out early education (2/3/2011)

ECIC Video The Time Is Now (December 2010)

Ounce of Prevention Video - Change the First Five Years and You Change Everything (4/30/2009)

Link to Donation Page

Join the Early Childhood Action Network

You can help put our state on the path to prosperity! Receive notices of special reports, Action Alerts, updates, and more information specifically about early childhood issues.

Infants and Toddlers

Research shows that experiences in the first 1,000 days of life alter the architecture of young children's brains in ways that permanently affect their health, learning and development. With a majority of Michigan babies - particularly babies of color - born into very low-income families, the need to expand access to services that support families with young children is great. Michigan's Children is committed to establishing a consistent funding stream for programs serving children from birth to age 3 and their families.

Children's Healthcare Access Program

Kent County Children’s Healthcare Access Program (CHAP) and Wayne County CHAP are improving health outcomes for low-income children while reducing health care costs. CHAP is a medical home model that was created in partnership with local Great Start Collaboratives as well as local health plans, hospitals, health departments, businesses and agencies. CHAP in Michigan began in Kent County through the vision and leadership of local pediatrician, Dr. Tom Peterson; a non-profit organization led by prominent business executives and philanthropists; and a forward-thinking managed care plan. Efforts to replicate the CHAP model are taking place across the state with Wayne County beginning to implement its CHAP model in 2011.

Read our Focus on MI Communities piece on Kent and Wayne CHAP.
See the joint media release by Michigan's Children, First Steps Kent, and the ECIC on CHAP.
See the Grand Rapids Press article highlighting Kent CHAP.

Early Childhood Legislative Briefing

On March 21, 2011, state legislators, business leaders, philanthropic leaders, and early childhood experts met at the HighScope Educational Research Foundation for an early childhood legislative briefing. The event, co-hosted by legislators and the business community, began with Lt. Governor Brian Calley giving opening remarks and included expert presentations on the lifetime effects of high quality early child care and education serving children from birth to age five and their families. Read more about the event and view the presentations.