$12M Annually Donated to Benefit Detroit Children

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INKSTER — A collaborative of reputable and long-standing community-based agencies is pleased to announce its innovative and comprehensive program has been selected by the Office of Head Start to receive $60 million in federal funds over the next five years to serve nearly 1,000 children and families in Detroit annually.

The collaborative will provide Detroit children in 11 ZIP codes access to high-quality and high-impact early childhood services while helping to support and stabilize young families.

The collaborative is led by Starfish Family Services in partnership with Development Centers Inc.; Focus: HOPE; and Southwest Solutions. A fifth organization, HighScope Educational Research Foundation, will provide curriculum, professional development, and evaluation support.

The national Birth to Five pilot program award funding is the first of its kind in Michigan, with Detroit chosen as one of only five cities in the U.S. to participate in this initiative. The collaborative was selected because of its success in delivering Early Head Start (for pregnant women and children birth to three years old) and Head Start (for children three to five) programs in Detroit and western Wayne County.  Other preliminary Detroit award recipients are Matrix Human Services, Metropolitan Children and Youth, and New St. Paul.

The program grant will support innovative elements, including unprecedented levels of professional development that extend to community-based childcare professionals and K-3 educators, as well as investments in family and parent engagement.
 

As part of the grant award, collaborative fundraising efforts will begin immediately to raise significant private funds and in-kind donations totaling $15 million over five years resulting in a $75 million cumulative five-year investment in this collaborative platform.