Mainspring Early Care Alliance
Shared Services is an innovative approach to strengthen the child care industry by helping providers share costs and deliver services in a more streamlined and efficient way.
A three-year grant is allowing First Steps Kent to implement a Shared Services model, named Mainspring Early Care Alliance, to offer more support and back-end services in-home child care businesses. The expenses and time associated with running a child care business force many providers out of the industry. Research shows easing those burdens helps stabilize the pool of providers, giving families more options.
Articles
Shared Services
Support for Child Care Providers will Improve Access to Care for Kent…
(Grand Rapids, Mich., June 23, 2022)—First Steps Kent received a $750,000 grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to move from pilot to implementation …
Shared Services
Shared Services: Child Care Collaboration
First Steps Kent and our partners are once again looking to the future to build back-end support to help child care providers sustain and grow their …
Child Care
Announcing Child Care Stabilization Grant
Mark your calendar! The Michigan Department of Education is pleased to announce that the application for the Child Care Stabilization Grant will open …
Shared Services
Kent County Awards First Steps Kent Grant Funding to Help Child Care…
Funding Will Assist More Than 600 Licensed Childcare Providers Implement New COVID-19 Protocols
Child Care
Distribution of Supplies to Child Care Providers
There is no doubt that the COVID-19 crisis has raised awareness about the importance of a critical workforce – child care providers. In response, the …
Child Care
Coordinating Child Care During COVID-19
The people of West Michigan are expressing well-deserved gratitude to our essential workers in health care, food supply, the delivery industry, first …
Early Learning
Pilot Program to Provide Business Support to Child Care Providers
First Steps Kent received a $750,000 grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to...