Local Great Start preschool scholarship program deadline nears

Submitted by Angie Bermudez on Fri, 07/22/2011 - 12:00am

More low-income families can benefit if local matching funds are raised by July 31.

SOUTHGATE, MICH., July 22, 2011 — Struggling families that need quality preschool opportunities for their children can get financial help this fall, thanks to a new program offered through the Great Start Collaborative of Wayne County.

“In today’s challenging economy, too many Wayne County children are living in homes where money is a barrier to quality care and early learning,” said Toni Hartke,, director of the Great Start Collaborative – Wayne (GSC-W). “Thanks to the availability of new federal funds, we are able to begin to address the needs of these families.”

Hartke says the number of scholarships available depends on Wayne County’s ability to match the federal funds before July 31.

“We have just a couple of weeks to generate our dollar-for-dollar match,” Hartke said. “It’s all hands on deck as we seek out businesses and individuals who can help commit resources to ensure the best care possible for local children.”

Currently, GSC-W estimates nearly one-hundred low-income children can be served through the program. To meet its targets, GSC-W needs to raise a little over $100,000 in additional local funds.

“Every dollar we bring in is being matched 100%,” Hartke said. “We need to show our local support for families in need, and we need to do it quickly if we are going to capitalize on this program.

Financial support can be offered by contacting Linda Stanko at the GSC-W office at (734) 285-4001. The deadline to pledge support and receive matching dollars is July 31, 2011.
Families interested in receiving tuition scholarships should also contact the GSC-W office at (734) 285-4001. An application will be provided and scholarships will be awarded by September of 2011.

About Great Start
Great Start Collaborative-Wayne began in 2006 as a collaboration of parents, service providers and professionals to assure a coordinated system of services and resources to assist all Wayne County families with children from pre-birth through age eight. GSC-W is a partner of Michigan’s Early Childhood Investment Corporation to assure every child is ready to succeed in school and life. Visit www.greatstartwayne.org to learn more about our work.