Millage Recipient Profile -Grand Rapids Community College

Play and Learn GRCC is a vibrant community-driven initiative dedicated to enhancing the early learning experiences of young children by empowering …

March Into Reading Month: The Importance of Reading to your Child

March celebrates reading month! First Steps Kent and Great Start Collaborative highlight the essential role of reading right from the earliest stages …

Awilda’s Pathway to the ECE Profession

My early childhood education journey began in Chicago, Illinois when I was 3 to 4 years old. I attended the Head Start program at the local YMCA while …

First Steps Kent releases report: “Today’s Investment in Tomorrow: The…

First Steps Kent has released a report titled "Today’s Investment in Tomorrow: The State of Early Childhood Programs and Services in Kent County." The …

Ready by Five Funding

Discover the impact of Ready by Five Millage as it funds essential programs for expecting parents and children up to age five in Kent County.

8 ways to celebrate MLK Day with young children

6 ways to celebrate MLK Day with young children

Societal Benefits and Return on Investment of Early Childhood…

In 2022, more than 12,000 children and expectant parents in Kent County participated in quality early childhood services that would not have been …

Young children receive services to help with early learning and…

Ready by Five Early Childhood Millage awards $11 million to 34 services

Family Child Care Network Grantee Announcement

Training for Early Childhood Professionals

The Ready by Five Early Childhood Millage supports more than 30 programs aimed at improving the health and well-being of expectant parents and the …

Resident Proposal Review Board

Deciding how the Ready by Five Early Childhood millage funding is spent is no small task. Supported by Kent County taxpayers, it is important …

2022 Ready by Five Millage Service Highlights

A quick highlight and explanation of Play and Learns, infant mortality, home visiting, outreach and navigation, child safety, and lead identification …

About the Ready by Five Early Childhood Millage

The time between a mother becoming pregnant and the child entering kindergarten is critical for brain development and social and emotional learning. …

Developing Mainspring Early Care Alliance

In-home child care providers in Kent County are getting back-end support to maintain their businesses, helping to stabilize the industry. A three-year …

Advocating for Care and Early Education

The importance of quality early education on a child’s cognitive, social, and emotional development is well documented. However, accessing quality …

Parent Voice Matters

The early childhood system in Kent County is constantly evolving, influenced by new research, reporting, and funding sources. However, the most …

2022 Impact

The experiences and early learning opportunities of infants and toddlers greatly impact their later development and success. Brains are built from the …

Ready by Five Telehealth Policy

Ready by Five Telehealth Policy

Survey Says

Quotes from Kent County Parents

Q&As for Training

RAPID Data Briefings

After each survey, First Steps Kent recieves a presentation from Stanford University

RAPID-Kent County Surveys 1 and 2

RAPID partners with cities, counties, and states to gather essential and ongoing information and caregiver voices, provide timely and relevant data to …

About the Ready by Five Quality and Improvement Consortium (QIC)…

Professional Development through "Equity Talks"

Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative (ELNC) and First Steps Kent, two leaders in early childhood education, have partnered to help advance …

Kent County children benefit from Early Childhood Millage

More families in Kent County are able to receive services that improve the health and school readiness of young children thanks to a new round of …

Resident Proposal Review Board

Deciding how the Ready by Five Early Childhood millage funding is spent is no small task. Supported by Kent County taxpayers, it is important …

Kent County Fiscal Year Changes

800 Kent County Families Receive Learning Kits

Eight hundred three-and-four-year-old children in Kent County received educational kits filled with activities on Tuesday, May 10, in hopes of better …

A young woman, Kendall, was having pain. She went to the hospital where they told her she was in active labor. Kendall did not know she was pregnant. …

Play Group Inclusion

Phyllis currently has custody of her four-year-old granddaughter, Cecilia. She was looking for ways to support the child through some complex issues.

Supporting Parents

Toby is a four-year-old boy who lives at home with his mother and father. He was referred to Infant Toddler Developmental Services through Arbor …