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The quest for reliable funding of children鈥檚 programs often runs through local government, and of Kent County, Michigan, exemplifies the power of coalition.

鈥淭he greater Grand Rapids area has embraced the concept of early investment,鈥� says Jennifer Headley-Nordman, who recently became president of the organization 鈥� which in 2019, after Kent County raised property taxes to pay for programs that improve the health, school readiness and well-being of young children, including home visiting. Thanks to voter approval of the , the county has about $6.5 million a year for programs that serve expectant parents and children birth to age 5.

鈥淭he community has really embraced our mission,鈥� she says.

鈥淓arly childhood care and education is where we can have the biggest impact and return of investment,鈥� says Rick Baker, president & CEO of the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce. 鈥淲e recognized the millage鈥檚 clear connection to laying the foundation of a thriving and prosperous community for all. Devoting millage dollars to translation and interpretation for families with young children is a no-brainer that increases our community鈥檚 long-term competitiveness.鈥�

Headley-Nordman credits a dynamic array of partnerships for the progress in Kent County (where ), including the local Chamber and health department, as well as school districts and nonprofit service providers, adding, 鈥淪ome of our most important partnerships are with parents. They recognize the importance of connecting early to resources and services, for their children鈥檚 sake and for their own ability to find employment and stay employed.鈥�

More than 20 community-based organizations receive funding for more than 40 different programs, which in 2021 reached more than 11,000 children and expectant parents annually across Kent County. The First Steps Kent board of commissioners, a racially and politically diverse group, makes the funding decisions.

鈥淚t鈥檚 wonderful to serve on a board so dedicated to seeing our young children succeed,鈥� says Amanda Barbour, CEO and First Steps Kent commissioner. The board consists of local leaders, funders and those who work in a variety of fields with diverse backgrounds from all corners of Kent County 鈥淚t鈥檚 also exciting and important that we sit alongside parent leaders who are on our board and inform decisions and funding.鈥�

Organizations that provide interpretation and translation services have received Ready by Five funding. Headley-Nordman explains that it helps immigrant families from Latin American, the Middle East, Africa and other parts of the world, from new parents coming home from the hospital to families looking for support and resources as the children grow and get ready for school. 鈥淲e always want to honor, respect and encourage families to continue having conversations in their home languages,鈥� she says.

Parents, she notes, are heavily involved in all decision-making and advisory groups to ensure the work is centered around the needs of families. While child care is not funded by the millage, First Steps convenes child care providers and agencies that work in that area to stabilize and strengthen the industry.

Formerly a school psychologist and early childhood administrator, Headley-Nordman says, 鈥淚鈥檝e witnessed firsthand the difference between those students who received early access to information, services, and programs versus those who didn鈥檛. As a society, we can no longer sit back and hope for the best. This work requires honest conversations about racial and socio-economic barriers within early childhood that exist for many families.鈥�

Kent County is in the vanguard of a growing trend of local funding.   recently passed in New Orleans. Leelanau County, Michigan, in 2019. (Two years later, after the county board chair tried to eliminate it, allowed it to survive at a reduced rate.)

Headley-Nordman says that within the first 48 hours of starting her position, other counties were reaching out to her for advice. 鈥淚n Michigan,鈥� she says, 鈥渨e have focused on property taxes, but communities in other states have utilized other sources of revenue.鈥� She mentions a sales tax or tax on high-income earners in Portland, Oregon.

As the Hunt Institute鈥檚 Javaid Siddiqi , with regard to recent policy victories in state legislatures, 鈥淚n a highly polarized environment, investment in the nation鈥檚 young children may just be a political unicorn: a topic on which we virtually all agree.鈥�

In the year ahead, Headley-Nordman is focused on maintaining community support for the millage, which will be up for renewal in 2024.  鈥淎s an organization,鈥� she says, 鈥渨e鈥檙e working to identify gaps in the system, share and analyze data with community stakeholders, and have strong collaborations in place to address gaps and advance our collective work.鈥�

Promoting the early childhood education profession is another priority. 鈥淲e鈥檙e entrusting them with the care of our most precious little beings,鈥� she says. 鈥淎nd really, there’s so much going on developmentally from birth to age five, in terms of fine motor, gross motor, cognitive communication and language, not to mention social-emotional well-being.鈥�

For Kent County and beyond, the coalition building that First Steps practices will pay dividends in the future. 鈥淥ur commitment to early childhood success,鈥� she says, 鈥渨ill ultimately translate into higher graduation rates, lower special education numbers and improved family outcomes.鈥�

This story originally published on Early Learning Nation and is now archived on 蜜桃影视. Learn more here.