Frequently Asked Questions

Early On® Genesee County provides free early intervention services for infants and toddlers, birth to three years of age with developmental delay(s) and /or disabilities. Early On Genesee County supports parents and families so that they can address the unique needs of their eligible infants and toddlers to enhance their health, development and learning. Additional support services may be available for Flint children, three to five, who are at risk of lead-related development delays. Click here for water and lead resources.

Early On® Genesee County services for eligible children are individualized based on each child's needs and may include:

• Developmental assessment to determine eligibility
• Development of an Individualized Family Service Plan
• Service coordination
• Developmental intervention to address potential areas of delay including:
  • Social-Emotional development
  • Communication
  • Self-help (feeding, dressing, bathing)
  • Fine motor development (reaching, grasping, stacking, building)
  • Sensory processing, self-regulation
  • Gross motor development (rolling, crawling, walking, exploring environment)
• Teacher Consultant services for hearing impairments
• Teacher Consultant services for visual impairments

To find additional information and resources for families, visit the Early On Michigan website.

All preschool programs provide an excellent opportunity for children to learn in a safe, encouraging environment. All programs focus on giving children the best classroom experience possible to prepare them for Kindergarten.

Early Head Start and Head Start Preschool are programs that provide additional support for families beyond the classroom. The programs work closely with families to help enhance the child’s overall health and nutrition and help parents with their child’s mental, social, and emotional needs. Early Head Start is for children birth up to age 3 and Head Start is for children ages 3-4.

Great Start Readiness Program is available for children who are 4 on or before Sept. 1st. Eligibility for GSRP requires that family income be below 400% of the federal poverty guidelines with priority given to children based on family income. So the lower the family income, the better the chance the child will be placed in Head Start or GSRP. Almost all Head Start families must have income below 100% of the federal poverty guidelines. If capacity is available, GSRP may enroll families up to 400% above the income poverty level based on a tiered selection criteria, along with children that turn 4 between Sept. 2nd and December 1st.

• Prenatal Services- expectant families at any stage of pregnancy, the earlier the better.
• EHS- infants and toddlers 6 weeks up to age 3 years of age.
• HS- children who are 3- 4 years old on or before 9/1/2025
• GSRP- children who are 4 years old on or before 9/1/2025. A provision exists that if capacity is available and the family has intent of enrolling the child in kindergarten the following school year, then a child turning 4 between 9/2-12/1 may be found eligible.
• Children that turn 5 on or before 9/1 are not eligible for our programs as they are eligible for kindergarten. Please contact your local district to discuss kindergarten and/or school of choice options.

Not necessarily. The interest form is the first step in the process to applying for programs. It helps us connect you with the program that you feel is best for your family. After completing the interest form, you will still need to complete a full eligibility assessment along with providing your income information. In most cases, this step will be done directly with the school or program to which you’re applying. Priority for enrollment will be based on family income and/or other factors.

While it is a good idea to fill out your interest form as soon as possible, it generally does not impact the chances of your child getting in. Decisions to accept students are made based primarily on family income and program availability. Interest forms are accepted as early as March 1st. We encourage families to be proactive by including their eligibility documentation with their interest form. This may help expedite the process as programs review and verify eligibility. Please note the timeline of this process varies by program. Once connected to a program, they are your direct point of contact.

Eligibility is primarily based on family income (Federal Poverty Level) and child’s age. Programs are state and federally funded and have a defined list of eligibility factors. Program interest forms are reviewed according to state and federal guidelines. Each child must qualify for the program based on guidelines that include income verification and documentation of other school readiness risk factors. Requirements may vary by site.

Income is all of the money the parent/guardian(s) living with the child have earned before taxes. Income includes:

• Wages or salary from a job
• Money earned from self-employment
• Retirement or disability payments
• Unemployment benefits
• College/university scholarships or grants
• Interest/investment income or periodic payments from a trust
• Lawsuit settlement payments
• Gambling winnings

2025 Annual Income Guidelines

1. Families at or below 100% of poverty must be referred to Head Start. Enrollment in GSRP is deferred until the referral process is complete.
2. Head Start programs serve families with the greatest need first. Most enrolled families have incomes at or below the 100% federal poverty level. A small number of spots may be available for families with higher incomes:
   • Up to 10% of children may be from over-income families.
   • With special approval, up to 35% may be from families earning up to 130% of the federal poverty level.
   These limits are set by the Office of Head Start to ensure fair access for families in our community.

Universal preschool eligibility due to lead exposure expired in the 2022/2023 school year. If your child is impacted by the crisis it should be reported as an environmental risk factor, but it does not guarantee eligibility.

Not necessarily. If you receive government assistance, your child may be income eligible for preschool. However, you are not automatically eligible for program because you receive Medicaid, or WIC.

If you currently receive these specific forms of government assistance, your child is considered categorically eligible for Early Head Start and Head Start regardless of your income. You will need to provide documentation of your current benefit approval case. Families receiving these benefits do not automatically receive placement. Families are still added to the prioritized waitlist to be selected according to the program’s selection criteria. If Head Start is unable to service your child, GSRP may be a program option if your child meets the age eligibility. If interested, please discuss with program staff for there would be an additional step to enrollment.

While we always try, we cannot guarantee parents their first choice of program. Not every child is eligible for every program and some of our programs are smaller than others. The program you requested may be full or your child may not be age or income eligible for a certain program. Programs also have different options, so the program you selected may not offer what you need, for example transportation or afterschool care.

No. While we make an attempt to provide experiences to every child, we do not have the resources to ensure that every child is accepted into programming. Based upon state and federal regulations we can only serve so many students per classroom/home-visitor. Your child may enter kindergarten without ever having completed an early childhood experience.

Depending on the time of year you submit your interest form and the program you select, the time it takes to contact you may be different. It is a good idea to provide multiple ways for the program to contact you. Please make sure that you keep your contact information up-to-date. If you would like a status update please contact the program you are working with directly. If you need further assistance please call (810) 591-KIDS.

No. Children are welcome at any stage of their potty training.

All programs in Genesee County use evidence based early childhood curriculums as approved by Michigan Department of Education and the Office of Head Start. These include:

• HighScope
• Creative Curriculum
• Montessori
• Reggio Emilia

All programs in Genesee County are required to exceed maintain Michigan State Child Care Licensing ratios, however program guidelines may have additional requirements that apply.

• EHS 1:4 not to exceed 8 children per classroom
• HS No more than 17 in a 3 year old room; no more than 18 in a 4 year old room
• GSRP 1:8 not to exceed 18 children per classroom
• Home visiting 12 families per home visitor

Yes, you can contact Child Care Network at (888)388-7656 or Great Start to Quality by visiting www.GreatStartToQuality.org. Great Start to Quality provides information on every licensed child care provider in Michigan. It can help you find a child care and/or programming for your child.

By visiting the Great Start to Quality website at www.GreatStartToQuality.org. Great Start to Quality is based on quality standards that have been approved by the State Board of Education for child care and preschool. Programs are rated in five key areas:

• Staff qualifications/professional development
• Family/community engagement
• Administration/management
• Learning environment
• Curriculum/instruction

You can contact the Child Care Network at (888)388-7656 or Great Start to Quality by visiting www.GreatStartToQuality.org.