Early learning partnerships.

Sec. 32p. (1) From the state school aid fund money appropriated in section 11, there is allocated for 2026-2027 an amount not to exceed $30,000,000.00 to create and implement statewide early learning partnerships. It is the intent of the legislature that these early learning partnerships will provide centralized access points to families for trusted entry into the early childhood system, family and community outreach to build awareness, trust, and referral networks, outreach through child health providers to engage pediatric professionals for early detection of developmental delays or other health needs, and data collection and analysis to provide real-time insights necessary to improve services and systems. (2) From the funds allocated in subsection (1), the department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential shall award at least $16,900,000.00 to eligible intermediate districts for the purposes of this subsection. All of the following apply to funds awarded under this subsection: (a) Intermediate districts must apply for funding in a form and manner determined by the department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential. (b) The department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential shall award funding to eligible intermediate districts in a way that ensures that families statewide have equitable access to services provided by an early learning partnership. The amount awarded to an eligible intermediate district must not be less than the amount received by the intermediate district in 2024-2025 for local great start collaboratives. At least $1,000,000.00 must be awarded to eligible intermediate districts in a manner determined by the department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential to support MiFamily engagement regional centers. To be eligible for funds awarded under this subdivision, intermediate districts must partner with an entity with expertise in family leadership, as determined by the department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential. (c) Intermediate districts must use funding received under this subsection for the following purposes: (i) Convening early learning partnerships on a regular basis to ensure early childhood system building and the development of implementation strategies through active partnerships with families and multiple community organizations. (ii) Improving family access, leadership, and engagement in early childhood education. (iii) Enhancing child development, learning, and well-being. (iv) Creating strong, efficient community systems. (v) Providing universal developmental screening and follow-up support through care coordinators. (vi) Participating in a coordinated, statewide enrollment system that increases child participation in early care and education programs as described in subsection (5). (vii) Supporting the following staffing costs in each early learning partnership: (A) At least 0.8 FTE for a lead position to provide system-building capacity by facilitating the implementation of program components and activities, ensuring initiatives are data-driven, completing annual program assessments, connecting families to developmental screening, and ensuring intermediate districts have dedicated care coordinators. (B) At least 0.5 FTE for a care coordinator within each intermediate district. Care coordinators are responsible for answering questions from families, providing follow-up services related to developmental screenings and referrals, tracking data, and providing cross-sector coordination to ensure families are seamlessly connected to the full scope of services within the intermediate district region. (3) From the funds allocated in subsection (1), there is allocated for 2026-2027 an amount not to exceed $3,900,000.00 for evidence-based, family-centered, data-driven family support services, including, but not limited to, home visiting programs that comply with the requirements of 2012 PA 291, MCL 400.791 to 400.798. Funds allocated under this subsection must be expended in a form and manner determined jointly by the department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential and the department of health and human services. The department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential shall make payments under this subsection to an intermediate district serving as a fiscal agent for these funds on a schedule determined by the department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential. (4) From the funds allocated in subsection (1), the department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential shall award at least $4,000,000.00 to eligible intermediate districts for the purpose of improving access to books and other literacy materials for children from birth to age 5. An intermediate district must apply for these funds in a form and manner determined by the department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential and may use the funding to support programs, including, but not limited to, the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, Reach Out and Read Michigan, or any other program that provides books and literacy materials to children from birth to age 5 and educates families on the importance of frequently reading aloud with children. If funding available under this subsection is insufficient to fully fund all interested intermediate districts and families, funding to each intermediate district must prioritize enrollment to those families with the highest levels of economic need. (5) From the funds allocated in subsection (1), there is allocated for 2026-2027 an amount not to exceed $4,000,000.00 for an intermediate district to partner with the department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential and community-based organizations to raise awareness about the availability of services through early learning partnerships and to develop systems to identify and reach out to families. All of the following apply to funding under this subsection: (a) Funding under this subsection must be used for the following purposes: (i) Organizing community events and outreach activities to inform parents about early learning partnerships, the positive impacts of early childhood education, and additional early childhood programs available to families. (ii) Developing and implementing a coordinated statewide enrollment system that allows providers to advertise available services and allows families to enroll in early education programs. The system described in this subparagraph must include information about additional early childhood programs for families to increase participation in early care and education. (b) Families are not required to participate in early learning partnerships. (6) From the funds allocated in subsection (1), the department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential may award up to $1,200,000.00 to intermediate districts to administer or provide services, programs, or resources required by this section that would otherwise be administered or provided by the department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential. Funds awarded under this subsection may be distributed as follows: (a) Up to $50,000.00 to Oakland Schools to provide strategic leadership in collaboration with the department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential to ensure accountability, efficacy, and consistent implementation of programs under this section to a national fidelity standard, as determined by the department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential. (b) Up to $1,150,000.00 to Clinton County RESA to collaborate with the department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential to provide statewide leadership, technical assistance, a central access point, community outreach, and administrative support. (7) Notwithstanding section 17b, the department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential shall make payments under this section on a schedule determined by the department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential.