LANSING, Mich. — Michigan is expanding its preschool program to include 3-year-olds for the first time, as part of Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s ongoing push for universal pre-kindergarten education. The initiative, which began in 2023, aims to make education free for all 4-year-olds and now extends to younger children under the state’s MILEAP department.
Emily Laidlaw, deputy director for the Office of Early Education, said the expansion will initially create about 4,000 spots across the state.
“We know that when kids get high-quality early education, it prepares them for K-12 schooling,” Laidlaw said. “They learn to share, they learn to get along with others. They’re more prepared for reading and math. And the gains actually last even longer into adulthood.”
The Great Start Readiness Program, which began in 1985 for at-risk preschoolers, is now open to all 4-year-olds in Michigan, thanks to increased funding from the School Aid Fund. Last year, the state invested $130 million into the pre-K program.
Western Michigan University political science professor John Clark noted the importance of state funding in education.
“But one of the things that I’m not sure everybody realizes is that most funding for education comes from the state,” Clark said. “The national government plays a small role, but for the most part, the funds that are expended on our local schools are either local funds or state funds.”
Clark added that expanding these programs statewide will benefit families, especially in areas lacking resources.
“There are a lot of parts of the state where there simply aren’t the resources, opportunities for parents to find places for their children to get that early education,” Clark said. “But those are the kinds of things that can make a big difference in a child’s life down the road.”
Governor Whitmer’s focus on education is expected to be a key topic in her upcoming address, as she seeks to appeal to both Republicans and Democrats in a politically divided state legislature.
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