KENT COUNTY, Mich. — This August, voters in Kent County will be asked if they support a millage designed to fund early childhood development programs in the county for the next six years.
In 2018, when the original six-year Ready by Five millage was passed, it became the first dedicated property millage that supports early childhood programs in Michigan.
In 2024, the Ready by Five millage is back on the ballot with the same millage rate of 0.25 mils (or about $37.50 annually for a home valued at $300,000) over the next six years.
What is the Ready by Five millage?
The Ready by Five millage is a six-year property tax by Kent County that is estimated to raise about $8.8 million in the first year to be used for early childhood programming.
Ready by Five supports 18 community-based organizations that provide 32 early childhood programs, including:
- Prenatal support
- Developmental screenings to identify potential delays and disabilities
- Assistance navigating the early childhood system
- Home visits that support caregivers
- Play and learn groups, which help develop language and learning skills
- Elimination of hazardous substances, like lead, from homes
- Intensive therapy for children dealing with behavioral health issues
- Books for families to support reading at home
In 2023, the top programs used were home visiting programs (programs designed to provide extra support and training for parents and caregivers), housing support, food access, baby supplies, and transportation.
Ready by Five served more than 12,000 children and expectant parents in 2022 and increased that number to over 13,600 in 2023, the non-profit says.
What are some of the programs that Ready by Five funds?
The money raised by the millage has funded several different programs all aimed at early childhood development.
Some of the money raised from Ready by Five is used to partly fund home six home-visiting programs in the county, including Baby Scholars, Bright Beginnings, Healthy Families Kent County, Little Scholars, MomsBloom and Strong Beginnings.
Funds from Ready by Five are also used to identify lead risk in homes through lead screening by the Healthy Homes Coalition and Kent County Health Department.
You can learn more about some of the other programs that the millage funds through the millage reports posted on FirstStepsKent.org.
What does the Ready by Five Millage ballot language say?
The millage will appear on your ballot for the Tuesday, Aug. 4 primary election with the following language:
"SHALL KENT COUNTY LEVY 0.25 OF ONE MILL, WHICH EQUALS 25 CENTS PER $1,000 OF THE TAXABLE VALUE ON ALL REAL AND PERSONAL PROPERTY SUBJECT TO TAXATION, FOR THE PERIOD JANUARY 1, 2025 THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2030, INCLUSIVE, FOR THE PURPOSE OF PLANNING, EVALUATING, AND PROVIDING SERVICES TO PERSONS THROUGH AGE 5 AND THEIR PARENTS FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT, AND SERVICES TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF CHILDCARE AND TO INCREASE PUBLIC INFORMATION REGARDING AVAILABLE CHILDCARE? THE AMOUNT RAISED BY THE LEVY IN THE FIRST CALENDAR YEAR IS ESTIMATED AT $8,794,547."
Ready by Five is part of First Steps Kent, an independent nonprofit organization that strives to make sure that every child in the county will "enter kindergarten healthy and ready to succeed in school and life."
