Early Childhood Initiative

Early Childhood Investment Corp. gives $2.8 million to United Way

Posted: 15 Dec 2009 12:50 PM PST

By Sherri Begin Welch

The Early Childhood Investment Corp. has awarded a $2.8 million grant to United Way for Southeastern Michigan as part of $10 million in federal pass-through funding to improve the quality of early childhood care providers in the state.

ECIC is a public entity created in 2005 by Gov. Jennifer Granholm to coordinate an early childhood system for the state that would provide better access to professional development for providers of early childhood care.

With the grant, United Way plans to expand the early childhood provider professional development programs it launched in July, 2008.

“This is allowing us to fully cover Metro Detroit and increase the number of caregivers served, and ultimately, the number of children in their care,” said

Annemarie Harris, director, early childhood initiatives at United Way.

United Way will serve as one of 10 resource centers for early childcare providers in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties, providing them with ongoing training in first aid, CPR, early childhood development and other relevant topics through subcontract with a number of community agencies.

The centers will host training to help early child care providers meet state requirements, along with further professional development goals, Harrison said.

United Way currently is subcontracting professional development for providers from five community agencies: Starfish Family Services Inc., Southwest Solutions in Detroit, Detroit-based Development Centers Inc., Leaps & Bounds Family Services in Warren andOakland County Childcare Council.

United Way plans to subcontract five additional community agencies to expand its training across the region.

The new state grant builds on $1 million United Way has secured for early childhood provider training this year from a number of foundations:Ford Fund, General Motors Foundation, High Scope Educational Research Foundation, PNC Foundation, Kresge Foundation, Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation, Skillman Foundation and W.K. Kellogg Foundation.