MiLEAP, Local School Leaders: Enroll Your Child in Free, High-Quality PreK For 2025-26 School Year
PreK for All Prepared 4-Year-Olds for Kindergarten; Saves Families an Estimated $10,000 Per Year
LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement and Potential (MiLEAP), local school leaders, and providers from across the state encouraged families to enroll 4-year-olds in PreK for All during a statewide press conference today. Enrollment is now open to all families, regardless of income, to enroll in no-cost, high-quality PreK for the 2025-26 school year.
“Children who start ahead stay ahead, and research shows that a high-quality PreK education improves a child’s emotional, social and intellectual skills and helps ensure children are healthy and ready to learn when they enter kindergarten,” said Dr. Beverly Walker-Griffea, director of MiLEAP. “We want all families with 4-year-olds to know that they can enroll now in free, high-quality PreK this fall. Visit MiPreKforAll.org to programs near and learn how to enroll today.”
Michigan’s PreK for All program includes the Great Start Readiness Program in schools and community organizations, Head Start, and developmental kindergarten programs. The National Institute for Early Education Research’s (NIEER’s) 2024 State of Preschool Yearbook recently reported Michigan’s Great Start Readiness Program has achieved top marks for quality, with Michigan being one of only five states to meet all 10 quality benchmarks set by NIEER. This is the eighth year in a row that Michigan has earned this achievement.
“High-quality PreK sets children up for success with benefits that last far beyond their time in school,” said John Searles, superintendent of Midland County Educational Service Agency (ESA). “PreK gives children the foundation they need for long-term success in school and work, and research shows they grow into healthier and more successful adults. This is something I’ve seen firsthand in my role.”
“As we speak to parents in Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula, we stress that research shows a high-quality PreK education improves a child’s emotional, social and intellectual skills,” said Lyndsay Carey, director of early childhood education for Marquette-Alger Regional Education Service Agency (RESA). “In PreK, children are not sitting behind a desk. They are receiving the building blocks for a strong education, while playing with blocks, crayons and their friends.”
“With costs of early childhood education continuing to rise, I am so thankful for a high-quality PreK program that is a no-cost option, because day-to-day costs for parents like me are already so expensive,” said Janet Hackett, parent of a Great Start Readiness Program student. “Free PreK potentially saves families like mine thousands of dollars a year. I could not have asked for a better, more well-rounded experience not only for my daughter, but our entire family.”
“For providers like me, we see first hand the impacts of PreK for All every day,” said Kim Wolfersberger, owner and managing director at Learning Zone Preschool and Childcare in Battle Creek. “Our teachers help improve our children’s confidence in learning and provide them with individualized experiences to help them thrive. We love serving the children in our care, and PreK for All allows us to further our mission and help prepare these young minds for kindergarten and the world beyond.”
PreK for All offers four-, five-day, full-day and half-day options across the state. Additionally, transportation options are available in some areas.
Families can enroll their 4-year-olds in NO-COST, high-quality PreK for the 2025-26 school year now. Visit MiPreKforAll.org to find programs near you that meet your family’s unique needs.
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Established by Governor Whitmer in 2023, MiLEAP’s mission is to improve outcomes from birth to postsecondary so anyone can ‘make it in Michigan’ with a solid education and a path to a good-paying job. To learn more about MiLEAP, go to Michigan.gov/MiLEAP.
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