The Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential, along with local school leaders, have announced that beginning next year, any 4-year-old in Michigan, regardless of income, can enroll in “Pre-k for all,” a program to ensure kids have a solid educational background before entering kindergarten.
The announcement was made during a statewide teleconference, which included representatives from the UP.
Studies have shown how a pre-k education can prepare children for the intellectual, as well as the social aspects of early learning. Lindsey Carey, Director of Early Childhood Education at MARESA, says the average cost for full-time pre-k runs over $10,000. Eliminating that cost, along with the wide variety of schedule options, makes this valuable to working families.
“Across both of our two-county area, we have programs that are four days, have programs that are five days, and even four half days and five half days. So, this is our first year offering four different types of programming based on parent feedback.
For more information on “Pre-K for all” and on how to enroll, please visit maresa.org
