Links Kent County children and families to a Refugee Navigator who provides guidance and comprehensive support to navigate community resources.

Supports families in tracking their child’s development through regular screenings. Families receive monthly activities and age-appropriate materials to encourage learning at home. Each family is paired with a Family Support Navigator who answers questions and connects them to community resources.

Offers outreach, consultation, and care coordination to parents who need help accessing community resources, including basic needs, health care, and early childhood programs.

Supports pregnant and postpartum Black and Latino parents through education, discussion groups, counseling, breastfeeding cafes, and referrals. A fatherhood initiative serves male partners. Services are offered at home or other convenient locations by culturally responsive community health workers. (Prenatal – 2 years old)

Playgroups across Kent County that support parent-child interaction, development-focused parenting, and family wellbeing. Families connect, explore parenting topics, learn about child development, and grow through play.

An 11-week home visiting program supporting parents in teaching their children, focused on Black and Latinx families in the City of Grand Rapids. A certified Parent Coach visits weekly to guide positive parent-child interactions that support language, social, and brain development. (Birth – 3 years old)

Helps parents find the care and support they need after birth. From mental health providers to lactation consultants and other postpartum specialists, MomsBloom connects families with trusted local resources, so they don’t have to navigate this overwhelming time alone

Provides hands-on, in-home support to parents after bringing home a newborn. Services may include discussion of postpartum resources, care for babies and their siblings, and light housework. Services are available to all families across Kent County. (Birth – 6 months old)

Supports caregivers and their young children to strengthen the parent-child relationship and promote healthy development. Offers parent-child interaction and play, guidance on child development, and specialized counseling for biological, foster, kinship, and adoptive families. Available to all families across Kent County. (Prenatal – 5 years old)

One-on-one coaching in families’ or child care providers' homes to help parents and caregivers understand responsive parenting, provide positive interactions, and learn about child development. Services are available to all families across Kent County. (Birth – 5 years old)

Community-based groups that help caregivers support children’s language, literacy, and STEM development using everyday materials and routines. Also emphasizes emotional and physical growth.

Inclusive playgroups for children ages 0–5, including those with developmental disabilities. Led by trained pediatric therapists, the program equips caregivers with strategies to support their child’s growth at home.

Playgroups for children ages 0–5 and their caregivers, hosted in child care centers, schools, and community settings. Uses play-based activities to support cognitive, language, literacy, social, and emotional development.

Enhanced by Ready by Five funding, MIHP provides nutrition and lactation consultation for expecting and new parents. Services are offered at home, in the office, or in the community. Families must be current patients of Cherry Health to participate. (Prenatal – 2 years old)

Connects families experiencing or at risk of homelessness with coordinators who provide support for young children and link families to community resources using a trauma-informed approach.

Arbor Circle’s Infant Toddler Developmental Services (ITDS) provides home-based support and clinical interventions to families with young children to build strength and skills, increase bonding between the parent and child, and create a sense of emotional security within the family. Through counseling and other hands-on interventions, parents learn more about themselves and their children and receive guidance for various behavioral concerns and parental issues.

Arbor Circle’s Keep Early Education Positive (KEEP) partners with parents, teachers, and child care providers to support children ages 0–5 facing challenges in child care or preschool. Promotes positive social-emotional development and ensures successful early learning experiences.

Supports expectant mothers and parents with young children. Staff address family needs and child development to help families achieve self-sufficiency.

Lead Program Expansion
This program provides lead risk identification, prevention, and elimination services for residents of Kent County. Health Educators and Lead Sanitarians also offer public education and coordinate services to reduce lead exposure and protect children’s health.

Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (CLPPP)
CLPPP provides nursing case management and home visits for children with elevated blood lead levels or at risk of lead poisoning. The program helps families reduce exposure, supports follow-up care for confirmed cases, and offers education and outreach to healthcare providers to encourage testing for all children in Kent County.

Healthy Homes Coalition of West Michigan provides an in-home screening to identify possibly sources for lead, poor air quality, and accidental injury risk, with a trained Healthy Housing Specialist. Families are provided with education, supplies to reduce exposure to the hazard(s) in the home, and referrals to other community organizations as needed.

Provides proven methods to help caregivers understand early child development, identify potential concerns, and build a strong foundation for later academic success. Services are available to all families across Kent County. (Prenatal – 5 years old)

The YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids offers the Child and Family Advocate Program to families of children in early childhood education programs in partnership with Grand Rapids Community College, Hispanic Center of West Michigan, Refugee Education Center, and Steepletown Neighborhood Services. Child and Family Advocates offer programming that is co-located within early education classrooms that provides culturally responsive assessments, individualized goal setting with families, intentional community resource referrals, and family engagement opportunities.

Works with families to find child care that meets their needs. Navigators discuss family preferences and connect them with licensed providers that have openings

A seven-book health curriculum for children ages 2–5 that combines fun storytelling with hands-on learning. Educators use the program to encourage children to try fresh fruits and vegetables, engage in physical activity, and build early literacy and language skills. Family letters and take-home tools help parents support healthy habits at home.

Supports new and expectant parents with a child with Down Syndrome through two key initiatives. First Call connects families with trained parent mentors who share lived experience, answer questions, and provide immediate guidance and support. Celebration Baskets deliver baby gifts, books, handmade items, and helpful resources to celebrate each new arrival and remind families they are not alone.