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2022 Impact Report

2022 Impact Report

"2022 was an incredible year for First Steps Kent. We partnered with more than 20 organizations and provided funding support for 33 initiatives through the Ready by Five Early Childhood Millage. We strengthened the child care network by elevating the in-home business professional voice. We worked with local, state, and national experts to inform early childhood policy and best practice. This impact report highlights the many successes and stories of this past year." Read the full letter from Jennifer Headley-Nordman on page 3 of the impact report - download below.

2022 Impact

2022 was an incredible year for First Steps Kent. We partnered with more than 20 organizations and provided funding support for 33 initiatives through the Ready by Five Early Childhood Millage. We strengthened the child care network by elevating the in-home business professional voice. We worked with local, state, and national experts to inform early childhood policy and best practice. This impact report highlights the many successes and stories of this past year.

2022 Impact Report
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Parent Voice Matters

The early childhood system in Kent County is constantly evolving, influenced by new research, reporting, and funding sources. However, the most important influences guiding the system are the true experts in what works, what doesn’t, and what’s needed: parents. Parents come in all kinds - foster parents, grandparents raising grandchildren, stepparents, and other caregivers. Their voices guide the work we do.

Parent Voice
Photo by Ben Wicks

Child Care and Mainspring Early Care Alliance

The importance of quality early education on a child’s cognitive, social, and emotional development is well documented. However, accessing quality early care and education is often difficult for families. Child care is one of the largest expenses for families with young children, often costing more than a housing payment or college tuition.

Advocating for Early Education

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 grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation is providing funding for First Steps Kent to build on its Shared Services Pilot Project with an initiative now known as Mainspring Early Care Alliance.

Developing Mainspring
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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. Making sure all parents in Kent County have access to developmental screenings, play opportunities, and brain-building resources for their child is essential and is the focus of the Ready by Five Early Childhood Millage.

About Ready by Five

In 2022, more than 12,400 young children and expectant parents in Kent Count benefitted from direct services funded by the Ready by Five Early Childhood Millage. Those served represented every zip code in Kent County, with the largest concentration in the most densely populated communities: the core cities of Grand Rapids, Grandville, Kentwood, Walker, and Wyoming.

2022 Millage Service Highlights
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Thank You

We want to thank our generous funders for their support of First Steps Kent and their commitment to young children in our community.

We want to thank the First Steps Kent Commission for their commitment to making Kent County a community in which all young children and their families can thrive.

Funders
The Commission
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