Hope Starts Here Launches Six-Month Engagement Campaign on Fifth-Annual Detroit Day of the Young Child; Announces Calls-to-Action to Support Detroit’s Youngest Citizens and Parents 


Detroit, Mich., April 27, 2021 – Today, Hope Starts Here (HSH) celebrates the fifth annual “Detroit Day of the Young Child” with the launch of a six-month campaign to engage businesses, employees, parents, guardians, and educators to “Be a Champion” in supporting access to high-quality early childhood programs, mental and healthcare as well as healthy, inspiring environments for parents and guardians.

“Without affordable, reliable and high-quality child care, parents cannot work to support their families, businesses cannot attract and retain workers and children will not be given the tools they need to succeed,” says Denise Smith, Implementation Director of Hope Starts Here. “In Detroit, where this issue is acute, 48 percent of children five and under live in poverty and 84 percent of Detroit’s third-graders cannot read at grade level. To create a sustainable future for these vulnerable young citizens, businesses, employees, government leaders, parents, guardians, caregivers, and educators must work together to help shape a better future for children in the family, in school and life.”

Among the many effects of COVID-19 on families, few pressures are more consistent and unrelenting than the daily pressures parents and guardians face to balance work and child care for the wellbeing and growth of young children.

“The most important work any of us can do is to make sure that our children have the opportunity to live up to their full potential,” said Mayor Mike Duggan. “As we celebrate Detroit’s fifth Day of the Young Child, I appreciate the work Hope Starts Here has done to give Detroit’s young children their best start possible, as well as the ongoing support this important work continues to receive from the WK Kellogg Foundation and The Kresge Foundation. I encourage everyone to get engaged and take part in some of the great events planned for this year’s celebration of our future leaders.”

Hope Starts Here Calls-to-Action:

1. If you run a local business, register at our landing page, so you can take more steps to support your employees and their children.
2. If you are a parent or guardian, get involved with two virtual events!

  • Join us virtually on Tues., Apr. 27 – 5:30-7:30 p.m. – For Old-School Fun – A citywide event with Detroit Champions for HOPE – Virtual games, scavenger hunt, bingo, dance party and more. The first 150 families to register receive a Summer Fun Pack with a baseball, jacks, jump rope, Dominoes, sidewalk chalk, cards and more swag.  To register, click this link or call 313-460-3444.
  • GLAM UP – Fri., April 30 – 6 p.m. – Detroit Champions for HOPE – Dress-up and walk the runway with our family right from the comfort of your home. To register, click this link or call 313-460-3444.

For more ways to support Hope Starts Here and to Be A Champion, visit www.hopestartshereDetroit.org/BeAChampion. Detroit Champions for HOPE is a supporting group of Hope Starts Here under Imperative 3, “High Quality Programs and Professionals.”

About Hope Starts Here 
Founded in 2016 by The Kresge and W.K Kellogg foundations to make Detroit a city that puts children first by 2027, Hope Starts Here connects and mobilizes resources that support Detroit’s youngest citizens and their parents and guardians, building opportunities and a brighter future for all. The framework of Hope Starts Here’s efforts was created in a year-long engagement process involving 18,000 Detroiters and resulted in a vision for community engagement, strategic planning process and action plan to make Detroit an equitable, world-class city for its youngest residents and their families. Denise Smith became the organization’s first Implementation Director in November 2019. For more information, visit www.HopeStartsHereDetroit.org.

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Denise Smith, Implementation Director of Hope Starts Here, is available for interviews.  Please access our Google folder, where you can find releases, images and videos.

Contacts:

Elizabeth Weigandt, Principal
Weigandt Communications, LLC
elizabeth@weigandtcommunications.com
T – 586-209-0602

Posted on April 26th, 2021 | View All Posts