GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Kent County voters approved a tax hike to fund early childhood development services for six years.
The Early Childhood program will raise about $5.7 million a year. Kent County becomes the first county in Michigan with a dedicated property millage to provide early childhood development services to children up to age five and their parents.
With 100 percent of precincts reporting, 142,875 Kent County voters approved the measure while 109,513 voters rejected it. The millage will remain in place for six years.
Backers say the money will be used to ensure that kids are ready to begin learning by the time they enter kindergarten.
The Kent County Board of Commissioners in June approved putting the ballot proposal before voters.
The ‘Ready By Five’ early childhood program will help ensure that Kent County children under the age of five have access to services “that ensure they are healthy and ready to learn by kindergarten,’’ according to the firststepskent.org website.
“Children who start ahead stay ahead,’’ according to firststepskent.org.
The millage will provide families of young children access to community-based programs, such as in-home support, visiting nurses, developmental screenings and programs that support parents, according to the First Steps Kent website.
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