(WXYZ) — Research shows that early childhood learning, specifically for kids between the age of about 3-4 1/2 years old, can counteract the disadvantage some children experience and improve social and cognitive development.
"I love teaching the children. I want the children to learn. I want the children to grow," Aubrey Utley, from Aubrey's Little Love Bugs, said.
Utley started the day care and early childhood learning center in Detroit, and this week, her center became part of Michigan's Great Start Readiness Program. It's state-funded early learning for 4-year-olds whose families have a low to moderate income.
"Talking to one of the parents, she said that she's happy because she can't afford it. So that's the big relief for her," Utley said.
In Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's recent State of the State address, she talked about the program including all 4-year-olds, regardless of family income.
"Let's expand our bipartisan preschool effort - the Great Start Readiness Program - so every 4-year-old can access a free, public preschool education by the end of my second term," she said.
"A lot of people just focus on the 4-year-olds and try to get that year. But when you catch them early milestones before they hit four, it helps develop the child and put them in a better position for when they get to kindergarten," Waymond Hayes said.
Hayes is the director of early learning and youth development for FOCUS: Hope, and he said it's important for people to understand that the Great Start Readiness Program is not daycare, it's education by trained professionals.
"It really ran a lot of teachers away because it makes it look like they have babysitters when actually the teachers are educators," Hayes said. "A lot of teachers have bachelor degrees, associates, CDAs, and they want to be treated and made to feel like they are essential to child development and learning."
Hayes said what you cannot do is expand the program to include all 4-year-olds without increasing teacher pay.
"It's going to be impossible because a lot of teachers left the field of early child education. Some left and went to Walmart because it can make more money. Some drive Lyft. Some went to other places to work," Hayes said.
Edward Manuszak, the early childhood executive director for the Washtenaw Intermediate School District, said the state also needs to focus on paying teachers more.
"We don't want staff who are in a position where, due to their circumstance, they're in a position where they're also receiving assistance from the government to take care of their own family," Manuszak said.
He said they're able to work with area colleges to help boost staffing, and agrees that boosting pay for teachers of early learning is vital.
"The rule of thumb, and this is one that we need to reverse, is that the lower the age, the lower the pay and that shouldn't be the case," Manuszak said. "Those wonderful professionals that work with our infants and toddlers in professional environments every day, helping to create nurturing, loving, caring environments. Talk about heroes? These are heroes. These are people that should be considered for some of the highest wages that we should have."
