In November 2018, Kent County voters approved the Ready by Five Early Childhood Millage to fund more than $5 million annually, from 2018-2024, to be directed toward community-based early childhood health and support programs. First Steps Kent was selected to lead the program.
In late 2020, the latest round of funding was approved by the Kent County Board of Commissioners, after First Steps Kent and its Resident Proposal Review Committee recommended funding 12 programs — including a focus on parental outreach and involvement.
Continuing WKTV’s coverage of the program and its efforts, and to bring you details of the latest funding and the program’s overall status, we will talk in studio with Joslyn Ward, a Kentwood parent serving on the review committee, and we welcome back to WKTV — this time via Zoom — Annemarie Valdez, First Steps Kent President.
WKTV Journal In Focus airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel (For dates and times on Channel 26, see our Weekly On-air Schedule. For dates and times on Channel 99, visit here). All individual interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal In Focus are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.
Ready by Five early childhood support programs are funded by a countywide milage passed in 2018 and provides programs that improve the health, school readiness, and well-being of children under age five. (First Steps Kent)
The goal of the ongoing Ready by Five early childhood support programs, funded by a countywide milage passed in 2018, is to provide “dedicated and sustainable funding for programs that improve the health, school readiness, and well-being of children under age five.”
And a key element of achieving that goal — to “increase their likelihood of success in school and beyond” — is to get parental involvement for the various Ready by Five programs, especially within at-risk families.
So, acting last week on the recommendation of First Steps Kent, the Kent County Board of Commissioners approved allocation of nearly $6 million in Ready by Five Early Childhood Millage funds with the largest among them going to a group working to gain engagement of the parents involved with the Child Welfare System.
The West Michigan Partnership for Children’s Parent Engagement Program — which includes efforts at “engaging, involving and equipping parents involved with the Child Welfare System” — was awarded just over $600,000 for a two-year funding cycle.
In all, $5,775,015 in Ready by Five Early Childhood Millage funds were allocated for 2021. The millage is funded by a .25 mil property tax increase passed in 2018 that was expected to generate about $5.7 million a year from 2019 to 2024.
A Ready by Five kid, preparing for the future. (First Steps Kent)
“Our Board is committed to assuring these funds are distributed equitably throughout the county,” Kent County Administrator Wayman Britt said to WKTV. “The Ready by Five millage was voted on by Kent County residents who confirmed that it is imperative we embrace the diverse needs of our community.”
The review process included action by the Ready by Five Resident Proposal Review Board, which included members of the Board of Commissioners, Phil Skaggs and Monica Sparks, as well as Dr. Juan Olivarez, of First Steps Kent Commission; Sandra Ghoston-Jones, of the Kent County Administrator’s Office; and early childhood expert Joanne Kelty.
Another example of seeking to gain parental involvement in all levels of the Ready by Five effort is that the proposal review board includes four diverse “Parent Representatives” from different parts of Kent County.
“I am honored to serve on the Ready by Five Review Board,” Kent County Commissioner Sparks said to WKTV. “This is a very serious commitment as it will have a measurable and lasting impact on our children and families. We are working very hard to provide equitable resources to ensure the future success of our entire community.”
In total, the Ready by Five Resident Proposal Review Committee reviewed 18 proposals submitted to First Steps Kent for this funding cycle, and recommended funding 12. The latest recommended amounts are in addition to the 27 contracts currently in place with service providers.
In addition to the West Michigan Partnership for Children’s funding of $600,900 ($294,924 in fiscal year 2021 and $305,976 in 2022), another notable allocation was a Fetal Infant Mortality Review project by the Kent County Health Department ($264,005 over two years), and interpretation and translation services contracts with Bethany Christian Services, Hispanic Center of West Michigan and Liaison Linguistics ($210,000, with $70,000 each over two years).
First Steps Kent will receive $396,399.95 for administration of Ready by Five programs in 2021. First Steps Kent is, according to its website, “an independent nonprofit organization that works with parents, service providers, funders, advocates, and other stakeholders to build a comprehensive early childhood system in Kent County.”
For more information on First Steps Kent and Ready by Five, visit firststepskent.org.
On the latest episode of WKTV Journal In Focus are two local efforts to support the youth of Kent County with the most basic of needs: proper nourishment and successful early childhood development.
We will talk with a West Michigan group which provides more than 8,000 dinner meals a day to kids during the school year. We will talk about what they do and what plans they have to do more in the future. Then we talk with the local group tasked to administer the public funds approved by vote as last year through the Ready by Five Early Childhood Millage … and we are talking about more than $5 million dollars annually.
First In Focus is In Focus is West Michigan’s Kids’ Food Basket, a nonprofit organization best known for its Sack Supper Program, which provides a free, well-balanced nutritious evening meal distributed within classrooms at the end of each school day. The group serves schools in three counties with facilities in Grand Rapids, Muskegon and Holland. With us is Bridget Clark Whitney, founding CEO of Kids’ Food Basket, and we will talk with her about her organization, about the Feeding our Future campaign, and why it is so important to assist our young citizens in gaining proper nutrition.
Then In Focus is First Steps Kent, the local group approved by Kent County Commissioners to administer the Ready by Five Early Childhood Millage passed by county voters in November of last year. First Steps Kent is, according to its website, “an independent, influential and neutral entity that leads the community’s efforts to strengthen and coordinate early childhood services in Kent County.” With us is Annemarie Valdez, president and CEO of First Steps Kent.
WKTV Journal In Focus airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel (see our Weekly On-air Schedule for dates and times). All individual interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal In Focus are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.
An estimated 45,000 children in Kent County are below age 5. Too many of them and their parents need help so they can be healthy and prepared for kindergarten, according to early childhood advocates. (Supplied/First Steps Kent)
By WKTV Staff ken@wktv.org
The Kent County Board of Commissioners last week approved First Steps Kent’s proposal to administer the countywide Ready by Five millage and to push forward a plan distribute the funds intended “to help young children be ready for school success” by “support young children and their families across the community.”
The action took place at the April 25 Board of Commissioners meeting. In November 2018, county voters approved the millage, which will provide more than $5.5 million annually for enhanced early childhood services.
“We are excited to work with First Steps and the broader community to increase community based, early childhood services,” Wayman Britt, County Administrator/Controller, said in supplied information. “The Ready by Five funds will allow us to reach children and their families early in life when brain development and social/emotional bonding are critical. We have confidence that First Steps and the system that is being created will ensure that the resources are directed where it can have a significant impact.”
The millage will support programs that improve the healthy development and school readiness of children ages zero to five. The funding will be distributed to community-based organizations across the county that provide services such as in-home parenting support, developmental screenings, play and learn groups, and outreach to “ensure families know what is available and have access to the services that best meet their needs,” according to supplied material.
A review board comprised of parents, Kent County commissioners, a First Steps Kent board member, and a community member with early childhood expertise will review proposals from service providers and make recommendations about which programs and services should be funded. The first round of funding will be awarded this fall.
“We are fortunate in Kent County to have innovative and effective early childhood programs that are getting great results,” Annemarie Valdez, president and CEO of First Steps Kent, said in supplied material. “The Ready by Five Millage will allow many more children and families in our community to benefit from those services. We again want to thank the voters of Kent County, who recognize this is an investment that will pay off for our community.”
The statement from Kent County stated that research shows money invested in high quality early childhood programs saves money down the road with reduced costs for child welfare, education, health care, and criminal justice. All programs funded by the Ready by Five Millage will be evaluated to measure their impact. Those results will be shared with the public. Kent County is the first county in Michigan to have local tax dollars dedicated to early childhood.
First Steps Kent is an independent nonprofit leading a community-wide effort to build a comprehensive early childhood system in Kent County. A comprehensive system requires that programs, policies, and supports are in place to help all young children and their families thrive.
An estimated 45,000 children in Kent County are below age 5. Too many of them and their parents need help so they can be healthy and prepared for kindergarten, according to early childhood advocates. (Supplied)
An estimated 45,000 children in Kent County are below age 5. Too many of them and their parents need help so they can be healthy and prepared for kindergarten, according to early childhood advocates who are backing a millage proposal on the Nov. 6 ballot.
They are asking Kent County voters to approve a 0.25 mill property tax levy that would provide an estimated $5.7 million a year to agencies and programs that support early childhood development programs. The millage would cost the average Kent County homeowner about $23 a year, or $1.90 a month.
The millage request was placed on the ballot this summer by the Kent County Board of Commissioners on a 13-5 vote. The request was made by First Steps Kent, a coalition of local foundations, community leaders and United Way agencies that support early childhood programs.
“We are reaching only a fraction of these children,” said Karen Lezan, program coordinator for Bright Beginnings, a Kent ISD program that helps parents prepare their children for school success. Although Kent County offers great services for early childhood development, they lack the funding to reach all of the children who could benefit, she said.
Bright Beginnings, an affiliate of the national “Parents as Teachers” initiative, provides parents with tools to encourage language, intellectual, physical and social and emotional growth. Their program was only able to see 532 children last year, Lezan said.
“Investing in early childhood pays off not only for children and their families, but for the entire community,” according to a 2017 “gap analysis” report that inspired the millage request. The study concluded 20,500 children under age 5 in Kent County are “economically disadvantaged.”
“Every child in Kent County deserves to be healthy and ready to learn by kindergarten, and this proposal will help make sure children under age 5 receive vital early childhood and health care services,” said Annemarie Valdez, president/CEO of First Steps Kent. “Working together, we can make sure all Kent County children have brighter futures and the opportunity to succeed.”
If the millage request is passed, the money would be passed along to successful programs selected by a board that is appointed by the county board. The millage request was patterned after the Kent Senior Millage, which provides funding for programs that benefit senior citizens in Kent County.
Taxpayer dollars raised by the millage would go through an independent financial audit every year to ensure taxpayer funds are spent wisely, according to its sponsors. This audit would evaluate the effectiveness of the funded programs to ensure transparency and accountability, sponsors said.
