Early childhood millage dollars prepare the littlest Michiganders for school success

Kent County is one of only two Michigan counties whose voters have approved special millages that exclusively support early childhood programs. The county’s Ready by Five millage funding will support 30 programs delivered by 16 local organizations between October 2025 and September 2026. The programs promote healthy pregnancies, child development, parents as first teachers, and school readiness. The Kent Intermediate School District (ISD) Bright Beginnings program is one of them. Millage dollars fund Bright Beginning’s home visit and playgroup programs.

“We have staff in every nook and cranny of the county,” says Karen Lezan, Kent ISD Bright Beginnings coordinator/supervisor. “A major focus of our program is to support, educate, and empower parents to be children’s first and best teachers.”

At home visits, Bright Beginnings staff set goals with families, incorporating the home environment to support play-based learning. Parents learn skills to support their children’s school readiness. Bright Beginnings staff also connect families to community resources, for example, employment opportunities, housing, or medical care.  

“We really want to elevate children’s literacy skills so they’re best prepared for school. We know that if the family’s not doing well, usually the kiddos aren’t going to be thriving and ready for school either,” Lezan says. “We’re able to wrap our arms around the whole family and help them while we’re monitoring the kids’ milestones and helping the parents be the best teachers of their kids.”

Lezan shares the experience of a home visit parent who requested a hearing screening because her son seemed delayed on his language skills. When the home visit staff conducted a hearing screening, the screening device indicated “refer.” Bright Beginnings helped the parent make an appointment with a specialist. The child is now going to a school for the deaf and hard of hearing to prepare him for kindergarten.

Playgroups “almost like free preschool”

Lezan says that Bright Beginnings’ playgroups are a fantastic opportunity for parents to practice being their children’s first teachers. During play, parents learn new skills that they can take home and practice to get their children ready for school. In addition, Bright Beginnings’ playgroups teach kids how to listen to another adult while gaining confidence within a school setting.

“Our playgroups are at the early childhood centers of our local school districts,” Lezan says. “They are helping that transition when it is time for preschool or kindergarten. Kiddos and families are feeling comfortable. The kids say, ‘This is my school.'”

In the first three quarters of the current fiscal year, Bright Beginnings used millage dollars to serve 138 children with 1,777 home visits and host 241 playgroups reaching 2,882 children. Some parents take their children to the free playgroups two or three times a week.

“Many families use our playgroups almost like free preschool,” Lezan says. “Thanks to the millage dollars, we have dedicated playgroups every single solitary day. Those kids are learning good, structured, developmentally appropriate information. And they are thriving. They’re doing well. Their transitions to school have been fantastic.” 

When it is time to enroll in preschool, pre-K, or kindergarten, Bright Beginnings helps families discover choices in the community and eases the enrollment process.
 
“Our goal is always to get children that are preschool-age to preschool. Then, by the time  kindergarten comes, they’re ready to go,” Lezan says.

Parents as first teachers

In 2024, Bright Beginnings completed the Parents as Teachers Quality Endorsement Improvement Process, earning the highest designation: Blue Ribbon Affiliate. The designation recognizes Bright Beginnings for having the highest quality, evidence-based home visitation and parent education programs.

“We’ve met the standards at the highest level for the country with supporting parents as teachers,” Lezan says. “We’re meeting all the outcomes, showing that we’re increasing literacy in the home, increasing medical appointments that are met, and increasing parent education.”

Because Bright Beginnings home visit and playgroup programs offer opportunities for various screenings, children benefit from early identification of hearing, vision, or developmental delays and referrals for services. The home visit program also introduces families to healthy dental habits and connects them to a dentist.  Another positive outcome — programs are inspiring parents to seek GEDs and a college education.

Lezan shares that a mom at one of the playgroups with her newborn connected quickly with the Bright Beginnings parent educator. She felt comfortable opening up about her postpartum challenges. The parent educator shared information about the Pine Rest Mother and Baby Day Program, which provides mental health support for mothers experiencing severe postpartum depression. The mom enrolled and began receiving the support she needed.

Lezan says the Kent County millage dollars have helped Bright Beginnings to better train staff, promote programs, and equitably serve families in their home language. Bilingual parent support educators make families feel welcome and ensure they get all they can from the program.

“At the play groups, we use the millage dollars to purchase a book for every family. So, they’re all reading along in the same book that the parent educator is reading,” Lezan says. “They’re learning literacy skills about the front and back of a book, about turning pages — and they can take it home and keep reading it.”

Local dollars make the difference

With federal and state budget cuts looming, the Ready by Five millage dollars are even more important. 

“There’s so much uncertainty right now,” Lezan says. “A lot of home visiting programs could be cut. Having these local dollars set aside — dollars that our local families have voted on as a priority — will be so beneficial. We know that the local kids will get served through the millage, specifically the kids with the most need.”

Photos by Tommy Allen.