Current through Public Act 148 of the 2024 Legislative Session
Section 388.1632p - Early childhood funding; local great start collaborative and family coalition; outcomes; workgroups; home visits to at-risk children and families; report; improving access to books and literacy materials; carrying over unexpended funds(1) From the state school aid fund money appropriated in section 11, there is allocated an amount not to exceed $19,400,000.00 to intermediate districts for 2024-2025 for the purpose of providing early childhood funding to intermediate districts to support the goals and outcomes under subsections (2) and (4), and to provide supports for early childhood programs for children from birth through age 8. The funding provided to each intermediate district under this section is determined by the distribution formula established by the department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential's office of great start to provide equitable funding statewide. To receive funding under this section, each intermediate district must provide an application to the office of great start by not later than September 15 of the immediately preceding fiscal year indicating the strategies planned to be provided.(2) Each intermediate district or consortium of intermediate districts that receives funding under this section shall convene a local great start collaborative and a family coalition that includes an active partnership with at least 1 community-based organization. The goal of each great start collaborative and family coalition is to ensure the coordination and expansion of local early childhood systems and programs that achieve the following outcomes:(a) Children born healthy.(b) Children healthy, thriving, and developmentally on track from birth to grade 3.(c) Children developmentally ready to succeed in school at the time of school entry.(d) Children prepared to succeed in fourth grade and beyond by reading proficiently by the end of third grade.(3) Each local great start collaborative and family coalition shall convene workgroups to make recommendations about community services designed to achieve the outcomes described in subsection (2) and to ensure that its local great start system includes the following supports for children from birth through age 8:(a) Physical and social-emotional health.(b) Family supports, including, but not limited to, the provision of basic needs and economic self-sufficiency.(c) Parent leadership and family engagement.(d) Early education, including the child's development of skills linked to success in foundational literacy, and care.(e) Community infrastructure.(4) From the funds allocated in subsection (1), at least $3,500,000.00 must be used for the purpose of providing home visits to at-risk children and their families. The home visits must be conducted as part of a locally coordinated, family-centered, evidence-based, data-driven home visit strategic plan that is approved by the department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential. The goals of the home visits funded under this subsection are to improve school readiness using evidence-based methods, including a focus on developmentally appropriate outcomes for early literacy, to improve positive parenting practices, and to improve family economic self-sufficiency while reducing the impact of high-risk factors through community resources and referrals. The department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential shall coordinate the goals of the home visit strategic plans approved under this subsection with other state agency home visit programs in a way that strengthens Michigan's home visiting infrastructure and maximizes federal funds available for the purposes of at-risk family home visits. The coordination among departments and agencies is intended to avoid duplication of state services and spending, and should emphasize efficient service delivery of home visiting programs.(5) By not later than December 1 of each year, each intermediate district shall provide a report to the department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential detailing the strategies actually implemented during the immediately preceding school year and the families and children actually served. At a minimum, the report must include an evaluation of the services provided with additional funding under subsection (4) for home visits, using the goals identified in subsection (4) as the basis for the evaluation, including the degree to which school readiness was improved, the degree to which positive parenting practices were improved, the degree to which there was improved family economic self-sufficiency, and the degree to which community resources and referrals were utilized. The department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential shall compile and summarize these reports and submit its summary to the house and senate appropriations subcommittees on school aid and to the house and senate fiscal agencies by not later than February 15 of each year.(6) In addition to the funds allocated in subsection (1), from the state school aid fund money appropriated in section 11, there is allocated an amount not to exceed $4,000,000.00 for 2024-2025 only for the purpose of improving access to books and other literacy materials for children from birth to age 5. The formula described in subsection (1) must be used to allocate funds to intermediate districts under this subsection. An intermediate district may use the funding to support programs, including, but not limited to, the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, Reach Out and Read Michigan, or any other program that provides books and literacy materials to children from birth to age 5. If funding under this subsection is insufficient to enroll all interested families in the service, each intermediate district must prioritize enrollment to those families with the highest levels of economic need. If an intermediate district will not fully utilize funding under this subsection, those funds must be returned to the department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential for redistribution for the purposes under this subsection.(7) An intermediate district or consortium of intermediate districts that receives funding under this section may carry over any unexpended funds received under this section into the next fiscal year and may expend those unused funds through June 30 of the next fiscal year. However, an intermediate district or consortium of intermediate districts that receives funding for the purposes described in subsection (2) in the current fiscal year shall not carry over into the next fiscal year any amount exceeding 15% of the amount awarded to the intermediate district or consortium in the current fiscal year. A recipient of a grant shall return any unexpended grant funds to the department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential in the manner prescribed by the department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential not later than September 30 of the next fiscal year after the fiscal year in which the funds are received.Amended by 2024, Act 120,s 58, eff. 10/1/2024.Amended by 2023, Act 103,s 78, eff. 10/1/2023.Amended by 2022, Act 144,s 62, eff. 10/1/2022.Amended by 2021, Act 48,s 50, eff. 7/13/2021.Amended by 2020, Act 165,s 43, eff. 10/1/2020.Amended by 2019, Act 58,s 37, eff. 10/1/2019.Amended by 2018, Act 265,s 41, eff. 10/1/2018.Amended by 2017, Act 108,s 43, eff. 10/1/2017.Amended by 2016, Act 249,s 45, eff. 10/1/2016.Amended by 2015, Act 85,s 38, eff. 10/1/2015.Amended by 2014, Act 196,s 42, eff. 10/1/2014.Amended by 2013, Act 60,s 37, eff. 10/1/2013.Added by 2012, Act 201,s 37, eff. 10/1/2012.