First Children’s Finance – Michigan Team is pleased to announce the selection of communities into the second round of the Rural Child Care Innovation Program under Caring for MI Future. First Children’s Finance received $600,000 in federal American Rescue Plan Act funding, awarded by the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) as part of the Caring for MI Future initiative, a $100 million investment that will help more Michigan families find quality, affordable child care in their community by opening 1,000 new, or expanded, child care programs by the end of 2024.
First Children’s Finance has chosen six new communities to participate in the 2023 Rural Child Care Innovation Program: Alcona County, Baraga County, Chippewa County, Iosco County, Ogemaw County and Osceola County.
Angie Bruning, Great Start Collaborative Coordinator for the AMA ESD, led the effort to secure the $100,000 planning grant from First Children’s Finance.
“This grant will support efforts to expand access to quality child care in Alcona County,” Bruning said. “I look forward to working with our team of stakeholders from Alcona to complete a needs analysis and determine the best options for moving forward.”
Dan O’Connor, Alcona Community Schools Superintendent, is co-leading the effort with Bruning.
For more information on this effort, contact Angie Bruning at 989-354-5366.