In November 2018, Kent County voters approved the Ready by Five Early Childhood Millage to fund more than $5 million annually, from 2018-2024, to be directed toward community-based early childhood health and support programs. First Steps Kent was selected to lead the program.
In late 2020, the latest round of funding was approved by the Kent County Board of Commissioners, after First Steps Kent and its Resident Proposal Review Committee recommended funding 12 programs — including a focus on parental outreach and involvement.
Continuing WKTV’s coverage of the program and its efforts, and to bring you details of the latest funding and the program’s overall status, we will talk in studio with Joslyn Ward, a Kentwood parent serving on the review committee, and we welcome back to WKTV — this time via Zoom — Annemarie Valdez, First Steps Kent President.
WKTV Journal In Focus airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel (For dates and times on Channel 26, see our Weekly On-air Schedule. For dates and times on Channel 99, visit here). All individual interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal In Focus are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.
Ready by Five early childhood support programs are funded by a countywide milage passed in 2018 and provides programs that improve the health, school readiness, and well-being of children under age five. (First Steps Kent)
The goal of the ongoing Ready by Five early childhood support programs, funded by a countywide milage passed in 2018, is to provide “dedicated and sustainable funding for programs that improve the health, school readiness, and well-being of children under age five.”
And a key element of achieving that goal — to “increase their likelihood of success in school and beyond” — is to get parental involvement for the various Ready by Five programs, especially within at-risk families.
So, acting last week on the recommendation of First Steps Kent, the Kent County Board of Commissioners approved allocation of nearly $6 million in Ready by Five Early Childhood Millage funds with the largest among them going to a group working to gain engagement of the parents involved with the Child Welfare System.
The West Michigan Partnership for Children’s Parent Engagement Program — which includes efforts at “engaging, involving and equipping parents involved with the Child Welfare System” — was awarded just over $600,000 for a two-year funding cycle.
In all, $5,775,015 in Ready by Five Early Childhood Millage funds were allocated for 2021. The millage is funded by a .25 mil property tax increase passed in 2018 that was expected to generate about $5.7 million a year from 2019 to 2024.
A Ready by Five kid, preparing for the future. (First Steps Kent)
“Our Board is committed to assuring these funds are distributed equitably throughout the county,” Kent County Administrator Wayman Britt said to WKTV. “The Ready by Five millage was voted on by Kent County residents who confirmed that it is imperative we embrace the diverse needs of our community.”
The review process included action by the Ready by Five Resident Proposal Review Board, which included members of the Board of Commissioners, Phil Skaggs and Monica Sparks, as well as Dr. Juan Olivarez, of First Steps Kent Commission; Sandra Ghoston-Jones, of the Kent County Administrator’s Office; and early childhood expert Joanne Kelty.
Another example of seeking to gain parental involvement in all levels of the Ready by Five effort is that the proposal review board includes four diverse “Parent Representatives” from different parts of Kent County.
“I am honored to serve on the Ready by Five Review Board,” Kent County Commissioner Sparks said to WKTV. “This is a very serious commitment as it will have a measurable and lasting impact on our children and families. We are working very hard to provide equitable resources to ensure the future success of our entire community.”
In total, the Ready by Five Resident Proposal Review Committee reviewed 18 proposals submitted to First Steps Kent for this funding cycle, and recommended funding 12. The latest recommended amounts are in addition to the 27 contracts currently in place with service providers.
In addition to the West Michigan Partnership for Children’s funding of $600,900 ($294,924 in fiscal year 2021 and $305,976 in 2022), another notable allocation was a Fetal Infant Mortality Review project by the Kent County Health Department ($264,005 over two years), and interpretation and translation services contracts with Bethany Christian Services, Hispanic Center of West Michigan and Liaison Linguistics ($210,000, with $70,000 each over two years).
First Steps Kent will receive $396,399.95 for administration of Ready by Five programs in 2021. First Steps Kent is, according to its website, “an independent nonprofit organization that works with parents, service providers, funders, advocates, and other stakeholders to build a comprehensive early childhood system in Kent County.”
For more information on First Steps Kent and Ready by Five, visit firststepskent.org.
A series of first-time tests of kindergarteners in Kent County shows many of them need exposure to more early childhood programs, according to Kent ISD educators specializing in early childhood development.
The tests showed 40 percent of kindergarteners tested were considered ready for kindergarten while 35 percent were “approaching readiness.” Twenty-five percent were classified as “emerging readiness,” the lowest category. The tests were given in the fall of 2018 to 65 percent of kindergartners in 19 of Kent County’s 20 school districts.
Students from low income families and Hispanic and African American households tested lower than students from white households, according to the test results.
Although kindergarten readiness tests were not given statewide, Kent ISD officials were able to compare the results to similar statewide tests in Maryland and Ohio. Those tests showed Kent County kindergarteners – especially those in Hispanic and African American families — were not as prepared as their peers in Maryland and Ohio.
Ashley Karsten, Great Start Readiness Program supervisor for Kent ISD, said the test results show the need for early childhood programs. The first round of funding from a countywide early childhood millage that was approved by voters last fall will help establish those early childhood programs, she said.
Last fall, Kent County voters approved a “Ready by 5” millage request to support early childhood development programs. The request for 0.25 mills, to provide an estimated $5.7 million per year, was approved 142,875 to 109,513.
“Our biggest takeaway from the test is that it confirmed early childhood programs are effective. The tests show that where they had early childhood experiences, they were ready for kindergarten,” said Kelli Campbell Brockway, director of teaching and learning for Kent ISD.
“We’re going to keep trying to provide that opportunity to as many students in Kent County as we can.”
For more stories on area schools, visit the School News Network website, schoolnewsnetwork.org.
