Nik Rajkovic / news@whmi.com

Michigan is expanding its PreK for All program to include home-based child care providers for the first time through a new pilot initiative — broadening access to no-cost, high-quality prekindergarten for families and creating new opportunities for small child care businesses across the state, according to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's office.

“Every child deserves a strong start and thanks to our hard work and historic investments over half of Michigan four-year-olds are enrolled in the Great Start Readiness Program,” said Gov. Whitmer. “Now, we’re expanding to more locations ensuring all children and families can participate in PreK for All in the place that works best for their child and their family. This is the right thing to do for kids, and it continues to prioritize the early starts we know are critical to help Every Child Read. Let’s keep working together to expand access to PreK and help our kids thrive.”

Through the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential’s new PreK for All Home-Based Pilot Initiative, Family Child Care Network hub organizations in Southeast, Southwest, and Northern Michigan will support home-based providers and approximately 75 PreK for All spaces for children with funding, coaching, and quality resources.

The state is launching the pilot with a focus on communities where traditional, center-based programs are harder to sustain, including rural areas, regions with limited child care availability, and the Upper Peninsula, where distance and lower population density can present unique challenges.

The expansion marks a significant step in reaching more families where they are, particularly those who prefer smaller, home-based settings or live in areas with fewer center-based options, according to the governor's office.

Home-based providers also play an important role in serving families with nontraditional schedules and supporting mixed-age care, including infants and toddlers.

“PreK for All is making a real difference for Michigan families, and this next step allows us to build on that progress in a way that is both inclusive and sustainable,” said Dr. Beverly Walker-Griffea, director of MiLEAP. “By bringing home-based providers into this pilot, we are expanding access to high-quality early learning, supporting small businesses, and ensuring more children can benefit from a strong start in the settings families know and trust.”

PreK for All provides free, high-quality early learning to Michigan four-year-olds, helping families save on child care costs while preparing children for kindergarten and beyond. This pilot builds on that effort by expanding options for families and strengthening Michigan’s mixed-delivery system.

The pilot is designed to test and refine how home-based providers can successfully deliver high-quality PreK, helping the state better understand the supports, structure, and capacity needed to expand this model over time.

It reflects recommendations from Making Vision a Reality: A Roadmap for Implementing PreK for All, and was shaped by extensive stakeholder engagement, including direct feedback from families and home-based child care providers.

MiLEAP also partnered with the National Institute for Early Education Research to help design the pilot, drawing on national expertise and best practices.

To participate in the pilot, home-based providers must meet established quality standards, including holding a Child Development Associate credential or demonstrating quality through Michigan’s Great Start to Quality improvement system. These requirements help ensure that children receive high-quality early learning experiences in home-based settings.

The following FCCN hub organizations were selected through a competitive request for proposal process to administer the pilot in their respective regions:

Child Care Network – serving Genesee, Lenawee, Livingston, Monroe, and Washtenaw counties

Northwest Michigan Works! (in consortium with 4C of the UP) – serving Antrim, Benzie, Charlevoix, Emmet, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Leelanau, Manistee, Missaukee, Wexford counties, and all counties in the Upper Peninsula

Southwest Child Care Resource & Referral – serving Allegan, Barry, Berrien, Calhoun, Cass, Kalamazoo, St. Joseph, and Van Buren counties

“This pilot is about giving more families access to PreK in settings that work for them,” said Emily Laidlaw, deputy director overseeing the Office of Early Education at MiLEAP. “By supporting home-based providers in this pilot program, we’re expanding access to high-quality PreK in areas that may not be able to support larger centers.”

Funded by Michigan’s Preschool Development Grant Birth-Five, the pilot will launch in spring and summer 2026, with the potential to continue into the 2026-27 school year.

"We’re thrilled to support home-based providers in bringing high-quality PreK to more families in our region," said Annette J. Sobocinski, executive director of the Child Care Network, which serves as the FCCN hub in Southeast Michigan. "This pilot allows us to expand services, strengthen provider capacity, and ensure families have more options."

Families are also expected to benefit from expanded options.

“Choosing a home-based PreK program at The Sky’s The Limit Family Childcare LLC has made a meaningful difference for our family,” said Taylor Provost, a Fowlerville mother of two. “It’s not just about affordability, it’s about knowing our child is in a nurturing environment and receiving a strong early education while we balance work and family life. We’re truly grateful for the positive impact it’s had on all of us.”

The pilot will also include a comprehensive evaluation to assess how home-based providers can best deliver PreK for All. PreK for All enrollment is now open for families.

More details are linked below.