Michigan Head Start Association

Registration for our 2026 MHSA Fall Assembly is open and we are so excited to welcome Dr. El Brown as our Keynote Speaker!

Register today!
https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/6zc2nwe/lp/9456815f-2f81-40af-a25a-d165b3650736

Parents - Head Start needs your voice!
We hope you can attend this NPRM Parent webinar and be part of the converstation.

Head Start parents, your perspective is important.

Next week, NHSA is hosting a special webinar just for parents to talk about the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) and what the proposed changes could mean for Head Start.

Join us on August 18, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. ET.

NHSA’s Government Affairs team will share the latest updates, answer questions, listen to parents’ concerns, and talk about how the Head Start community can make its voice heard.

Register today and be part of the conversation about the future of Head Start: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_XdFO0r6fRWSHMtMeCaYZfA #/registration

🚗 MHSA on the Road
Wow! We’ve made it to our tenth visit! About 40 more to go.
Follow along as the Michigan Head Start Association continues to discover the innovative ways programs are supporting children, families, and communities.

📍 Stop #10 – Genesee ISD
Abbey and Chanda traveled to Flint for Stop #10, beginning the day at Genesee ISD’s beautiful and thoughtfully designed Educare site.

The site’s 18 classrooms serve 220 children in spaces intentionally created for our earliest learners. But what stood out was everything happening around those classrooms. A food market supporting families, outdoor spaces intentionally built for young children to explore, and research partnerships that help create a culture of continuous improvement, with lessons that can be carried into other sites across the program.

From there, we spent time with program leaders talking about what makes their work unique and innovative. Two things kept rising to the top: their investment in supporting team members, and the depth to which data is embedded in decision-making.

What we continue to see across Michigan is that Head Start programs are studying what works, investing in their workforce, responding to what families need locally, and continually finding ways to get better.

That is what 60 years of Head Start has built—not simply a program, but a culture of learning, innovation, and commitment to children and families.

Thank you, Genesee ISD, for opening your doors and sharing your work with us.

🌐 https://www.geneseeisd.org/educational-programs/early-childhood-programs-birth-to-five

🚗 MHSA on the Road
This visit was a solo adventure for Chanda, as Abbey couldn't make it this time!
Follow along as Michigan Head Start Association continues discovering the innovative ways programs are supporting children, families, and communities.

📍 Stop #9 – Community Action Agency South Central Michigan
On the ninth stop, Chanda traveled to Battle Creek to visit Community Action Agency South Central Michigan.

One of the highlights was seeing their administrative offices located in the city's historic train depot. Built in 1907, they have transformed this beautiful space into an incredible office while preserving so much of its history and character.

From there, it was just across the street to tour one of their Head Start sites, housed in the cutest school building!

Another highlight was touring their beautiful kitchen space and learning just how much happens there. With only a handful of staff, the team prepares and provides more than 280,000 meals annually. Such an incredible amount of work happens behind the scenes to support children and families!

Community Action Agency South Central Michigan is also participating in the First Home, First Teacher initiative, which provides rent-free housing to early childhood educators—another great example of finding innovative ways to support and strengthen the workforce.

Thank you to the team at Community Action Agency South Central Michigan for an incredible visit and for sharing all the ways you are supporting children, families, staff, and your community!

🌐 https://www.caascm.org/

🚗 MHSA On the Road
The road trip continues! Follow along as Abbey and Chanda travel across Michigan, meeting the incredible people and programs making a difference for children and families every day.

📍 Stop #8 – Oakland Livingston Human Service Agency (OLHSA)
By stop number eight, we were definitely feeling miles, but our visit to OLHSA in Pontiac was well worth it! We toured their main office, which features three floors of early childhood classrooms, and learned more about the incredible work they do serving more than 700 children through Early Head Start, Head Start, and Head Start/GSRP blended classrooms.

One of the highlights of our visit was seeing their innovative seven-week summer program in action. Designed for children entering kindergarten, the program helps strengthen literacy skills and prevent the "summer slide," giving children an even stronger foundation as they begin their school journey.

We also enjoyed learning about exciting facility projects in the works that will help OLHSA continue enhancing the services they provide to children and families.

Thank you to the entire OLHSA team for the warm welcome and for sharing your passion, innovation, and commitment to Michigan's youngest learners!

Learn more about OLHSA: https://www.olhsa.org/en-us/

🚗 MHSA on the Road
After wrapping up our Upper Peninsula visits, we're back on the road exploring more of the incredible Head Start programs that make a difference across Michigan. Follow along as Chanda and Abbey continue discovering the innovative ways programs are supporting children, families, and communities.

📍 Stop #7 – Saginaw ISD
Our seventh stop took us to Saginaw Intermediate School District, where we visited two unique Head Start sites. Serving more than 800 children and families across 13 sites and 42 classrooms, Saginaw ISD offers both Head Start and Early Head Start through center-based and home-based programming. They also operate several year-round Head Start classrooms, providing consistent support for children and families throughout the year.

One highlight of our visit was seeing Saginaw ISD's commitment to creating innovative learning environments. We toured one site that has been beautifully renovated and another that is preparing for an exciting transformation. The newly renovated site is home to a STEM-focused preschool and a community health clinic. It features impressive Green Innovations, including an automated greenhouse, vibrant green walls, and classroom hydroponics. These unique learning spaces seamlessly integrate nature into everyday experiences, giving children hands-on opportunities to explore the environment, learn about sustainability, and connect with fresh food. We also learned about another Saginaw ISD program that offers a nature-based preschool, where children spend the majority of their day learning outdoors.

Thank you to the Saginaw ISD team for sharing your vision for the future of early childhood education. Your investment in innovative facilities, creative learning experiences, and comprehensive services demonstrates the many ways Head Start continues to evolve to meet the needs of children, families, and communities.

Today, the long-anticipated Head Start Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) was released.

Over the coming days, the Michigan Head Start Association will carefully review the 200-page proposal, identify the most significant issues, and develop resources to help programs, families, and advocates respond effectively. We will provide summaries, talking points, sample comments, and opportunities for collective action.

Today is the day to get to work.

For many in the Head Start community, the idea of scaling back the research, innovation, and comprehensive approach that have defined Head Start for more than 60 years is difficult to comprehend. The work of Head Start has helped prepare children for success in school and life, strengthened families, expanded educational and economic opportunities, improved health outcomes, and created stronger communities across our nation.

Those outcomes did not happen by accident. They are the result of six decades of research, continuous improvement, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to children and families.

The good news is that a proposed rule is exactly that—a proposal. The 60-day public comment period gives us the opportunity to share the evidence, the data, and, most importantly, the stories that demonstrate why Head Start matters.

For more than 60 years, Head Start has served more than 40 million children and their families. Behind that number are millions of parents, staff, volunteers, educators, health professionals, local businesses, community partners, and advocates whose lives have been shaped by Head Start. Whether people realize it or not, nearly every community in America has been touched by the impact of Head Start. Those millions of voices—and the generations of children and families whose lives have been changed—are far more powerful than any single proposal.

Stay informed. Stay engaged. Stay hopeful.

The Michigan Head Start Association will be with you every step of the way. Together, we will advocate for the children, families, staff, and communities who make Head Start one of our nation's greatest investments.

🚗 MHSA on the Road
Our Upper Peninsula adventure comes to a close—for now! Follow along as Chanda and Abbey continue traveling across Michigan, discovering the incredible people and programs that make Head Start so special.

📍 Stop #6 – Menominee-Delta-Schoolcraft Community Action Agency
Our final stop in the Upper Peninsula brought us to Menominee-Delta-Schoolcraft Community Action Agency. Serving more than 300 children and families through both Head Start and Early Head Start programming.

One of the things that stood out during our visit was their commitment to supporting parents, including offering a parent support group that creates opportunities for families to connect, share experiences, and build lasting relationships. Programs like these remind us that Head Start is about so much more than early education—it's about supporting the entire family and creating strong communities.

Thank you to the team for welcoming us and sharing your passion for the children and families you serve. Although this wraps up our first round of visits in the Upper Peninsula, we'll be back! We still have more incredible U.P. Head Start programs to visit—and we're determined that one of these trips will include spotting a moose. 🫎

🚗 MHSA on the Road
Our Michigan Head Start on the Road journey continues across the beautiful Upper Peninsula! Follow along as Chanda and Abbey visit Head Start programs across the state.

📍 Stop #5 – Community Action Alger-Marquette
Our fifth stop kept us in Michigan's beautiful Upper Peninsula as we visited Community Action, Alger-Marquette. Serving more than 200 children and families through both Head Start and Early Head Start center-based and home-based services, creating strong foundations for children in Alger and Marquette Counties. Their comprehensive approach supports children's learning and development while partnering with families every step of the way.

One of the highlights of our visit was meeting Barbie, who has dedicated an incredible 47 years to the program. Her passion, knowledge, and unwavering commitment to children and families are a testament to the lasting impact that Head Start has—not only on the families it serves, but also on the people who choose to make it their life's work. It was impossible not to be inspired by her stories and the relationships she has built over nearly five decades.

Thank you to the team for sharing the amazing work you're doing every day. Your dedication to children, families, and the communities you serve truly embodies the spirit of Head Start, and we were honored to experience it firsthand.

🚗 MHSA on the Road
Our trip across Michigan continues! Each stop gives us the opportunity to learn, connect, and share the unique ways Head Start programs are serving children, families, and communities.

📍 Stop #4 – Dickinson-Iron ISD
Our fourth stop took us all the way to Michigan's beautiful Upper Peninsula, where we visited the Dickinson-Iron Intermediate School District. Serving approximately 200 children and families through Early Head Start and Head Start, DIISD provides high-quality early learning opportunities that help children build a strong foundation for lifelong success.

One thing that stood out during our visit was their unique Tuesday through Friday center-based schedule, thoughtfully designed to support young learners while creating meaningful opportunities for staff. Their work reflects the heart of Head Start—partnering with families and communities to prepare children for success in school and in life.

Thank you to the entire Dickinson-Iron ISD team for welcoming us to the Upper Peninsula and sharing your passion for early childhood education!