It’s hard to believe another year is coming to a close, and least I say what a year it’s been with all the highs and lows. It appears that we’re finally emerging from COVID, employees are heading back to their offices on a hybrid schedule, and the prices of goods and services are at a 40-year high, affecting all of us.
Amid the nationwide turmoil, Hope Starts Here continued focusing on strengthening Detroit’s children, families, and educators by creating imperative-led new programming and initiatives and supporting statewide advocacy for more significant investments in early childhood education. Here are just a few highlights.
Michigan Tri-Share Prototype
Launched by Governor Whitmer, Tri-Share splits the cost of childcare equally between an eligible employee, their employer, and the State of Michigan, with regional coordination by facilitator hubs.
Detroit is the newest region to join Tri-Share and Hope Starts Here is the regional facilitator hub. We’re actively recruiting participants, employers, and employees to participate in this innovative program and collaborate to provide critical childcare solutions.
Tri-Share’s focus is on improving access and affordability of child care for Detroiters most at risk of choosing between their jobs or caring for their children. A choice no parent should have to face.

There was nothing good about the pandemic except it illuminated childcare issues and its role in our economy. It also got policymakers and employers talking about child care and seeing it as an economic driver, not just a family decision. You can read more about the Michigan Tri-Share program here.

Ready. Set. Enroll.
Throughout the summer months, we partnered with Homeroom Detroit to launch Ready. Set. Enroll., a virtual collection of materials, tools, and activities to support families in accessing and enrolling in early childhood education and care programs throughout Detroit and Wayne County. This curated collection of enrollment-specific resources such as schools, early education, and care programs and community hubs, classes, and events, is a hub where families can connect with community partners, childcare and education providers, and many more resources designed to support families.
Homeroom lets you search for information based on:
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- Places: You can go to enroll in childcare, K-12 programming, or community-based spaces to connect with resources and support as it pertains to academic and enrichment activities throughout Detroit and Wayne County.
- Opportunities: To help prepare early learners and K-12 students succeed in their early educational experiences.
- Questions: You may have as you search for quality resources and programs for your child. We’ll provide solutions and answers to many of the barriers parents may encounter during the search for quality resources and programming.
We are continually updating Homeroom Detroit so please be sure to check back often and/or if you know of a program or resources to include, let us know.
TA Tuesdays
With the help of our partner, IFF, we created T.A. Tuesday: Early Childhood Business Development Series that ran monthly from January through June. Each program focused on specific areas needed to establish a childcare business, from purchasing or leasing a childcare property to creating inspiring spaces for children to grow and how the power of design will help grow your childcare business. More than 400 childcare entrepreneurs participated in one or more programs, with purchasing and leasing a property the most heavily attended.
A huge thank you to our partners who made the Early Childhood Business Development Series possible: Allen Law Group, P.C., Design Core, Detroit Economic Growth Corporation, IFF, and National Wildlife Federation’s Early Childhood Health Outdoors (ECHO).
A Behind-the-Scenes Look
While I’ve highlighted two of our initiatives, our work continues behind the scenes to keep you informed and updated on what’s going on in Lansing, within the Detroit community, and much more.
The State offered several rounds of Stabilization Grants to help your childcare business thrive after COVID, and we hope you’ve taken advantage of the funding. Additionally, we continue providing information through our monthly newsletter. If you’re not signed up, you can sign up here or share the link with others who may benefit.
We regularly update our website with the work our Imperatives are doing, so be sure to bookmark our homepage. In the last year alone, we’ve seen a 26 percent increase in web traffic, and our social media engagement increased by 22 percent during the same period. This is due to an increase in the number of posts on all of our social channels. You can also join us on our Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn pages.
What’s Next?
As we move forward, our focus remains on providing Detroit families with early childhood programs that meet our benchmarks of Equitable Access, Quality, and Affordability. Join us today and Become a Champion for Detroit’s Children.
Kind regards,
Denise L. Smith
Implementation Director
Hope Starts Here