The JCC does its part to bring Universal Pre-K to Michigan

In September 2025, the JCC Early Childhood Center (ECC) took a big step in helping to move forward Governor Whitmer’s goal of implementing Universal Pre-K in Michigan by 2028. Early in 2025, the state announced the expansion of the Great Start to Readiness Program (GSRP), which previously only provided no-cost Pre-K to at-risk four-year-olds. GSRP would be expanded to include all four-year-olds, regardless of risk factors, and private community early childhood programs would be gradually signed up to provide the needed spaces. 

According to ECC Director Peretz Hirshbein, “Last February I learned that the Washtenaw Intermediate School District (WISD), which oversees publicly funded preschool in Washtenaw County, was selectively recruiting community early childhood programs to participate in GSRP in the 2025–26 school year.” Hirshbein immediately contacted the WISD to ask for consideration for the ECC. In March, the ECC hosted WISD staff members as they toured the ECC and met with ECC staff, after which the ECC was invited to formally apply to be a GSRP site.

For ECC staff, maintaining the school’s Jewish identity was essential throughout the process. “Getting a chance to meet with the WISD staff reassured us that our classrooms would be able to maintain their Jewish character,” said Michelle Paris, ECC head preschool teacher. “All of my co-teachers thought this was important to preserving the unique work we do serving our families and community.” Paris and Hirshbein made sure to point out that the Jewish education at the ECC is cultural, geographical, and values oriented, with very little falling into the category of religious education. The WISD staff agreed that the strong cultural basis of the program was a strength and not a weakness. Carrie Morris, the ECC’s Curriculum Coordinator, who joined the program just as GSRP was taking off, notes that “Best practice in early childhood education calls for the embracing of the cultural practices of the families in a program, and the ECC’s use of Jewish cultural practices enriches every day experiences the children have.”

The alignment between GSRP expectations and the ECC’s established practices helped make the transition possible. “The March meeting made us feel confident about our application because the ECC already used GSRP’s preferred curriculum approach, child documentation and assessment tools, and we were already set up to provide lunch service,” Hirshbein noted. Still, the timeline was ambitious. The ECC was accepted as a GSRP site in May, which left just four months to train JCC staff, sign parents up, and implement this program. “We all knew just how much of a blessing it would be for our families,” Hirshbein reflects. “Everyone — teachers, administrators, finance staff — worked incredibly hard over the summer to get us ready. We were determined to make GSRP happen as early as possible.”

When the school year started, all of the ECC’s four-year-olds were receiving state-funded early childhood education from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and families were able to sign up for tuition-based care before and after those hours. The ECC’s preschool classrooms started receiving monthly support visits from a WISD Early Childhood Specialist, easy access to a special needs consultant, and access to valuable professional development opportunities. And as the time went by over the fall, Paris noticed that “All the extra team planning time GSRP mandates has made our planning so much more intentional, which is making the experiences we design for our children richer and more meaningful.” 

For ECC families, the benefits have been both educational and deeply personal. One parent shared, “After both of us lost our jobs in 2025, GSRP became one of the only ways we could keep our children in the daycare we love and ensure that [our child] could remain in a classroom where he is thriving, surrounded by teachers and a community that cares deeply about him.” While the family had previously been able to afford high quality child care without assistance, the experience was a powerful reminder how essential programs like GSRP are in expanding access to Early Childhood Education and supporting families through life’s uncertainties.

“Research consistently shows that high quality early childhood education, like the ECC provides, leads to stronger academic performance, improved social-emotional skills, and long-term benefits like higher graduation rates and greater economic stability later in life,” said Emily Rose, the ECC’s Director of Operations. “GSRP helps us provide a road map to ensure that all families in our community have access to those benefits.”

Shira and Peter Haderlein, parents of two ECC children, also saw GSRP strengthen elements of the ECC they already valued. Invitations to morning greeting time, home visits, shared meals, and increased investment in teacher development deepened their connection to the ECC. “Participating in GSRP has been an incredible opportunity for everyone involved — families and school faculty alike — to grow and learn together,” said the Haderleins.

Erin Bzymek, also a parent of two ECC children, appreciates the effort the JCC made to not only provide this opportunity to the ECC’s current families, but also to be part of this effort to bring high-quality early childhood education to all Michiganders, reflecting that, “We appreciate the opportunity to participate in GSRP this year and especially everything ECC leadership has done to launch this program. The teachers have done exceptional work making this a smooth transition for everyone. We look forward to more families benefiting from this important initiative from Governor Whitmer to expand access to preschool programs at lower cost across Michigan.” The Haderleins agree, asserting that “This year has been a powerful reminder of how essential programs like GSRP are in expanding access to high-quality early childhood education — support that can have lasting impacts for children and families alike.”

Throughout this process, the ECC has remained deeply committed to preserving the Jewish values, traditions, and sense of community that define its program. Curriculum Coordinator Morris sees the predictable weekly markers of time in a Jewish program — Havdalah, Shabbat, making challah — as giving children a sense of belonging and safety. From celebrating Jewish holidays and fostering a culture rooted in the JCC movement’s values, the ECC’s Jewish identity continues to shine brightly alongside the expansion of GSRP. 

Families interested in joining the ECC should note the applications both for tuition-based enrollment and GSRP at the ECC open on March 1. For more information, and to join the ECC interest list, please visit the JCC website at jccannarbor.org and Washtenaw County’s GSRP website at helpmegrowwashtenaw.org