Great Start to Quality
Kent Resource Center
The Great Start to Quality Kent Resource Center assists parents in finding quality childcare and preschool using the Great Start to Quality Website.
Great Start to Quality Kent Resource Center also provides early learning educators, preschool teachers, and childcare providers in homes and centers with access to the 5 Star Quality Rating and Improvement System and professional development opportunities.
Interested in checking out materials or seeing what the Kent Resource Center's lending library has to offer? Kent ISD Online Resource Library
Orientation for Unlicensed Providers
Relative Caregivers - You are now required to take the Great Start to Quality Orientation to continue receiving payment from the State of Michigan to care for children. YOU MUST REGISTER TO ATTEND THIS TRAINING - SPACES ARE LIMITED!
Go to Great Start to Quality's Educator page and click on "Professional Development" to find a training date and location. Or, call our office at 616.447.5678
Michigan's Office of Great Start
The Great Start Collaborative of Kent County is a group of local professionals and parents who are working with First Steps and others in the community to help ensure all children have a GREAT START in life.
Our local Collaborative is part of a network of 55 Great Start Collaboratives working in every county in Michigan. The Great Start system is funded by the Early Childhood Investment Corporation, a public corporation formed in 2005.
There is a Great Start parent Coalition affiliated with every Great Start Collaborative, providing parents with an opportunity to inform, shape, and support the early childhood work in their community. Learn more about the Great Start Parent Coalition in Kent County.
For more information about the Great Start Collaborative please contact the director at 616.632.1019
T.E.A.C.H. Scholarship
Looking for a way to pay for it all? Apply for a T.E.A.C.H. Scholarship!
T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® MICHIGAN links education, compensation and commitment to improving the quality of early education.
T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® MICHIGAN is a statewide scholarship program designed to help child care center teaching staff, preschool teachers, family child care providers, group home owners, center directors, and administrators meet their professional development goals, while continuing their current employment in regulated early childhood and school age care settings.
T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® MICHIGAN addresses two major challenges in the early education and care field – low wages and high turnover. The scholarship helps increase compensation and the retention of skilled teachers.
The education level of child care providers is one of the most critical indicators of the quality of a child’s experiences in child care.
Currently, there are five scholarship models to support
credit-based education:
- Building Foundations
- CDA Assessment
- Part-time Associate's Degree
- Associate's Degree (or CDA Training)
- Bachelor's Degree.
T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® MICHIGAN, the scholarship recipient, and the sponsoring program work in partnership.
Funding from the Office of Great Start within the Michigan Department of Education supports the implementation of Great Start.
Access the Early Learning & Development Programs Great Start to Quality User Guide
Great Start to Quality User Guide
The Statewide Training Calendar on the Michigan Registry
The Michigan Registry, MiRegistry, has launched, and all Great Start to Quality training, including Great Start to Quality Orientation, is now on the MiRegistry Statewide Training Calendar.
The MiRegistry Statewide Training Calendar has replaced the www.greatstarttoquality.org training calendar. Registration can be done on MiRegistry or by calling 616-447-5678.
Find Child Care
Finding a quality preschool or childcare provider is just a click away!
Greatstarttoquality.org is an online listing of early childhood resources including a searchable database that families can access 24/7 in order to find local licensed childcare and preschool providers. You may create an account to save your searches or log in as a guest.
Contact Us
Great Start to Quality Kent Resource Center
1800 Leffingwell
Grand Rapids, MI 49525
(616) 447-5678
Fax (616) 301-8836
1-877-614-7328