After 20 Years, An Early Childhood Resource Is Disappearing in Kent County

After 20 years of serving families across Kent County, the Great Start Collaborative of Kent County will close at the end of the month.

Not from a lack of need or interest, but instead because of budget cuts from the state of Michigan that eliminated funding for programs across the state.

The state budget approved in October, after months of negotiations in Lansing and a near government shutdown, removed funding for the program entirely. Due to that, the Great Start Collaborative of Kent County says it will end services after January 30th

For years, local Great Start Collaboratives have played a key role in early childhood support. Their work focused on understanding what children and families need in each community, strengthening child care systems, helping kids arrive at school ready to learn, and improving long term outcomes.

For over two decades, the collaborative ran early literacy efforts like One County, One Book, which handed out 15,000 free books across Kent County in 2025 alone. They also supported home visiting programs, connected families with resources, and hosted community events like baby showers and summer learning celebrations.

Kent County is not alone in this loss. Allegan County’s Great Start Collaborative closed in November after losing funding. Barry County’s group has said it can no longer operate in the same way. Some collaboratives across Michigan have found ways to continue using local funds. Others simply do not have that option.

Early childhood needs do not go away when funding does. Families will still need support. Kids will still need help building strong starts. The hope now is that someone steps in to help fill the gap left behind.