Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


Early childhood programs have earned the highest state quality rating in a local district.

Whitmore Lake Public Schools’ Early Childhood Center and Go Like the Wind Public Montessori School have both earned a “Demonstrating Quality” rating through Michigan’s Great Start to Quality system - the highest level of recognition available.

Great Start to Quality is the state’s quality recognition and improvement system for licensed child care and early childhood programs. Programs are evaluated using research-based standards measuring family partnerships, learning environments, staff qualifications and ongoing professional development.

Superintendent Tom DeKeyser said “These recognitions reflect the care and expertise our early childhood educators bring to their classrooms every day. High-quality early learning experiences help children build confidence, develop social skills and begin their educational journey ready to learn.”

In addition to recognizing classroom quality, the rating also has a direct financial impact for families who qualify for Michigan’s Child Development and Care scholarship program, formerly known as the DHS child care subsidy.

Programs earning higher quality ratings receive increased reimbursement rates through the scholarship system, reducing out-of-pocket costs for eligible families.

For qualifying Whitmore Lake families, that may help make tuition-based early childhood programs more affordable; including preschool, infant and toddler care, before-and-after-school programs, and summer camps.

DeKeyser added "As we strengthen program quality, we also expand access, this recognition helps more families access high-quality early learning opportunities during critical developmental years.”

Research shows children who participate in strong early childhood programs enter kindergarten with greater confidence, stronger social skills, and readiness to learn — factors linked to long-term academic success.

Whitmore Lake Public Schools offers early learning programs serving children from infancy through kindergarten entry.

More about early childhood programs is available in the provided link.