Working with young children is not glamorous.
The pay is usually low. Yo-yo-ing state and federal funding sources -- "Yes, we'll give you the money; no, sorry, we don't have it this year" -- goes with the territory.
Parents -- many struggling to make ends meet -- need high-quality guidance for their children. In keeping with that, many new and exciting programs and initiatives in early childhood education have started up throughout the region over the past several months.
"The early childhood programs throughout the region are growing stronger every day, and we have a lot to be proud of," said Maggie Sprattmoran, Early Childhood Advocate through the Leelanau County Family Coordinating Council and director of the award-winning Leelanau Children's Center.
Sprattmoran said that in Leelanau County, every school district has agreed to provide a place for comprehensive early childhood services to be housed as of this fall.
"Everyone in the county has a chance to participate in these programs -- parents, teachers, health care workers, friends," she said. "We in the early childhood community have made a commitment to serve people no matter what their needs or value systems are."
Another exciting aspect of early childhood education involves peer reviews, something that Sprattmoran said is taking place increasingly throughout the region.
"There is an effort in the region to get child care providers to observe each other and do what is called 'peer review.' This method encourages us all see what research says is high quality, to see what we are doing that is high-quality, and then to make changes where we don't have high-quality programming," said Sprattmoran.
She said that agencies throughout the region are struggling with lack of funding, but are hoping for the best from legislators in the upcoming budgets.
"Putting high-quality programs in place for pre-schoolers -- from infants to 5-year-olds -- just makes sense," Sprattmoran said.
She explained that these programs can be center-based -- when parents take their children to a place outside of the home -- or community-based, such as at a relative's house or in the parent's own home.
"We don't care where people come from, or what their needs are. We just want to be there to guide, help, provide services for, and stimulate conversation about, children's needs so that we can help families thrive," said Sprattmoran.
Sprattmoran noted that research shows that the bulk of brain development in humans happens before age 5. Because the environment in which a child lives is a significant factor, she and others in early childhood education feel that is vital for communities and the state to support families so that they can have safe, healthy environments.
Mike Murray, superintendent of Suttons Bay Public Schools, said that investing money in early-childhood education programs is not only ethical, but smart.
"We know that for every dollar we spend in early childhood education, we'll save about $17 down the line," Murray said.
Suttons Bay started a new tuition-based early childhood program at the school this year.
Cheryl Bloomquist, director of early childhood programs at Traverse City Area Public Schools, said that the school district also has many new features in early childhood education this fall.
"We now have three tuition-based kindergarten enrichment programs in the school, which is working out really well," said Bloomquist. Because TCAPS students have half-day kindergarten, the district has responded to parents' needs for enrichment activities during the off hours.
"Way to Grow, which is a free program designed to help support families and their young children in a variety of ways, now has its own home base at Sabin Elementary school," said Bloomquist.
She said Way to Grow teachers have a gym and two classrooms available to them this year, whereas in previous years, their programs had to move around.
TCAPs is also offering Chinese language immersion programs for 4-year-olds on a tuition basis. Bloomquist said it's going well, with nearly 30 children enrolled.
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