Child care providers face funding cliff as ARPA dollars fall away
ARPA funding had brought a stabilization to early childhood care that needs to be maintained.
MI Families
MI Families shares the work of community organizations, healthcare providers, educators, employers, and other Michiganders as they work to create better health, educational access, and economic security for all Michigan families. It is made possible with funding from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
Model D shines at SPJ Detroit awards, claims first in education reporting
Our talented team received first place in the digital category for education reporting for the powerful series Early Education Matters, and fourth place in Consumer/Watchdog/Investigative Reporting, Feature Reporting, and Social Media Strategy.
Wandering Detroit’s child care desert as an English language learner: A parent’s story
New Detroiter Carolina Cruz says the hardest part of her transition from Colombia has been trying to get to know people in the city when her family is relatively isolated. Finding child care means independence and socialization for both Cruz and her two-year-old daughter, but Detroit's waiting lists are long.
Deambulando por el desierto de cuidado infantil de Detroit como estudiante de inglés
La nueva Michigander Carolina Cruz dice que la parte más difícil de su transición desde Colombia ha sido tratar de conocer gente en la ciudad cuando su familia está relativamente aislada. Encontrar cuidado infantil significa independencia y socialización tanto para Cruz como para su hija de dos años, pero las listas de espera de Detroit son largas.
PEDALS program helps teachers bring social and emotional learning to life in the classroom
"These are the skills that will carry them through life," says Jaletha Smith, a social-emotional coach at PEDALS. "They'll know how to handle and deal with certain challenges and traumas they might face. And if they have that social-emotional piece, the cognitive— that'll be easy for them to pick up. But you first have to have those skills to be able to sit down, listen, and follow directions to get to that."
Child care workers experiencing relief from COVID-19 funds are worried about Michigan’s fiscal cliff
"It's a true gap," says "Mama" Zina Davis, who runs a Detroit child care center and knows first-hand what providers and teachers are facing, not just in terms of pay, but in respect for their roles. "We shouldn't be competing with McDonald's."
PHOTOS: The “magic” of Marygrove’s Early Ed Center
In its second school year, the Marygrove Early Education Center works to provide a holistic educational experience for students, teachers, and families. Its state-of-the-art facility, designed in collaboration with its surrounding community, recently received international recognition. Model D's team spent an afternoon learning how this award-winning center is creating an innovative model for early education.
How will Michigan candidates support students with special needs?
Detroit parent Sparkle Berry wasn't afraid to ask Michigan candidates why she has to choose between quality education and special needs support for her son. At a recent forum, she and other parents and child care advocates brought hard-hitting questions to those looking for your vote. Read how local State Senate candidates responded.
Detroit parents ask Michigan candidates how they plan to address air quality and asthma concerns
Parents and childcare advocates recently showed up at a virtual forum to ask local candidates running for Michigan's State Senate this November about the issues on families' minds. Check out what those looking for your vote had to say about low air quality and high asthma rates affecting Detroit's children.
Universal pre-K, affordable child care, and teacher shortages: Michigan Senate candidates weigh in
For many families, child care exceeds the cost of a mortgage or rental payments and rivals college tuition payments. Yet, child care employees have been among the lowest wage earners in the state. Parents and early education advocates showed up at a virtual forum recently to ask local candidates running for Michigan’s State Senate how they plan to fix this problem.
