ISD Districts
Awarded Over $1 Million to Offer Early Education
Gongwer News
Service, January 11, 2006
The Early Childhood Investment Corporations on Wednesday awarded $1.24
million in grants designed to increase learning capacity for young
children.
The purpose of the ISD grants, according to Marianne Udow, director of the
Department of Human Services, is to reach Michigan's youngest citizens
while their brains are still developing and prepare them to enter school
healthy and ready to learn.
"In a challenged economic time its one of the best things we can be
doing," she said following the unanimous vote to award the 14 ISD grants.
Each district received somewhere between $50,000 to $150,000, districts
and funding amounts were based on recommendations provided by a sub
committee of the ECIC. The group reviewed grant submissions and considered
what districts were ready to begin their programs and what districts have
the highest concentration of low-income children.
"Thirty percent of the children living in poverty, in the state, live in
Wayne County," said Ms. Udow, adding that board strives to award grants to
all 56 ISD's by 2010. The start-up money comes from federal funds but
subsequent funds will be a combination of private and public efforts, she
said.
The grants were awarded to Wayne, Jackson and Muskegon, receiving $150,000
each; St. Clair, receiving $100, 000; Charlevoix-Emmett, Dickson-Iron and
St. Joseph, receiving $90,000 each; Oakland receiving $70,000; Ingham,
Genesee, Kalamazoo, Kent and Saginaw, received $60,000 each and Branch
County received $50,000.
"This was simply driven by the limited funds," said Ms. Udow of the
decision to fund only 14 of the 38 proposals. "This is just a sorting
process and we want to reach more ISD's later. So it is not an exclusive
club."
Beyond the ISD grants, the board discussed childcare training contracts.
The board decided to award childcare training contracts to two
contractors, a decision that some members had trouble understanding.
Michigan State University Extension and Michigan 4 C's Association will
split the available funds 60 percent to 40 percent, with MSU receiving a
$1.2 million contract and 4C's receiving an $814, 000 contract. At least
one member, Bob Kelch from University of Michigan, disputed the decision
to award funds to two contractors. Mr. Kelch said the overlapping services
would make it difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of services.
Other members said the two vendors would provide different types of
training with varying curriculums. The committee resolved to accept the
recommendation for two vendors and hash out the specific services of each
in later meetings.
The board also funded a service, disseminated through the Michigan 4C's
Association, which would offer a $150 incentive to day care aides and
relative care providers to complete training through either vendor. Ms.
Udow pointed out the importance of the day care aid and relative providers
saying, "sixty percent of our low-income children are cared for by
relatives or aides."
The ECIC is scheduled to meet again in February. They plan to choose a CEO
for the group at that meeting.
