Michigan has launched a pilot programme to offer free pre-kindergarten education in home-based childcare settings, expanding access to early education for families. The initiative, funded by a $1.5 million federal grant, will support up to 80 children aged three or four over the spring and summer, with potential extension into the next school year.
Lori Leggert, owner of The Sky’s the Limit Family Childcare in Fowlerville, is one of the providers participating. Her centre operates like a traditional school but also includes outdoor hens and roosters, and cares for children as young as 18 months. Two of her four-year-old students are enrolled in the free programme, with one parent estimating savings of $2,600.
Until now, home-based providers were not eligible for Michigan’s ‘Pre-K for All’ initiative, which offers free preschool to any four-year-old. The pilot aims to address this gap, with early childhood advocates describing home providers as an “untapped resource”. There were 3,344 group homes or family childcare sites in the state in fiscal year 2024.
Deb Dupras, executive director of the Community Coordinated Childcare Association of the Upper Peninsula, stressed the importance of including home providers. She hopes students in the pilot will perform at least as well on assessments as those in traditional settings. Joan Blough of the Early Childhood Investment Corporation added that home settings offer smaller, more intimate environments with individualised attention.
Michigan’s pre-K programme, ranked 17th nationally for access, meets all ten quality benchmarks set by the National Institute for Early Education Research. The state is also funding the MiEarly Apprentice programme to help paraprofessionals earn degrees and teaching certificates. Leggert, who holds a child development associate credential, said: “Sometimes hands-on and experience outweighs a degree.”
