Parenting Education Programs

Parent Education and Support programming ensures parents have the knowledge and skills to support their children’s health, development, and learning. Services provide in-home and/or community-based support and education. Programs offer parent education through home visiting as well as ancillary support that addresses the preventable causes of infant and child mortality.

Home Visiting Services offer parents support and information from trained professionals, such as nurses or parent educators. Appointments occur in your home or any comfortable meeting place that is requested by the family. Ready by Five funds multiple programs that ensure a continuum of support across all ages and community needs is met. Millage-funded Home Visiting programs include: 

• Ready by Five funding enhances Cherry Health’s Maternal Infant Health Program (MIHP) by offering additional nutrition and lactation consultation for expecting and new parents. Services are provided by a team and can be offered in the home, office, or community setting. Parents must be a current patient with Cherry Health to participate. (Prenatal - 2 years old)

• Corewell Health’s Strong Beginnings offers support, education, discussion groups, counseling, breastfeeding cafes, and referrals for pregnant and postpartum Black and Latinx persons to promote racial equity in maternal and child health. A fatherhood initiative offers services to male partners. Services are offered at home or other locations convenient to clients by culturally responsive community health workers. (Prenatal - 2 years old)

• MomsBloom's Postpartum Support program provides hands-on and emotional support to parents after they bring home a newborn. Services are available to all families throughout Kent County. (Birth – 6 months old)

• The Early Childhood Attachment program at D.A. Blodgett - St. John’s serves caregivers and their young children to strengthen the parent-child relationship and promote healthy development. This service facilitates opportunities for parent-child interaction and play; guidance in regard to child development; and provides specialized supportive counseling for biological, foster, kinship, and adoptive families. Services are available to all families throughout Kent County. (Prenatal – 5 years old)

• Kent ISD’s Bright Beginnings Home Visiting program provides proven methods that help caregivers understand their child’s early development, identify possible developmental concerns, and build a foundation for later academic success. Services are available to all families throughout Kent County. (Prenatal – 5 years old)

• Corewell Health’s Baby Scholars is an 11-week home visiting program designed to support parents as they teach their children, specifically African American and Latinx families in the City of Grand Rapids. A certified Parent Coach will come to the home weekly and show how positive parent and child interactions can help the baby’s language, social, and brain development. (Birth – 3 years old)

• The Little Scholars Program, brought to you by Vibrant Futures,  is a one-on-one coaching service for parents and caregivers with young children in their homes. Little Scholars focuses on supporting parents and caregivers in understanding the power of responsive parenting, providing positive interactions and knowledge of their child’s development. Services are available to all families throughout Kent County. (Birth – 5 years old)

Translation and Interpretation Services

Ready by Five Early Childhood Millage funds translation and interpretation for programs supported by the millage. Bethany Christian Services and the Hispanic Center of Western Michigan provide written translation and interpreters for phone and video calls with families or in-person meetings.