By K.D. Norris
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.
For more information about First Steps Kent, visit FirstStepsKent.org.
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.
