(FLINT, Mich. July 21, 2026) — The Flint Early Childhood Collaborative’s Educare and Cummings Great Expectations early childhood education sites have earned the Michigan Great Start to Quality’s highest designation. Both sites achieved the Demonstrating Quality level (formerly 5 Star rating), representing the highest standard of quality for early childhood centers in Michigan.
The Flint Early Childhood Collaborative celebrated this achievement with staff at both sites on July 20 to recognize their work in providing high-quality early childhood education for Flint’s littlest learners.
Great Start to Quality is Michigan’s quality recognition and improvement system, which sets the quality standards and evaluates the quality of early care and education programs.
“This designation represents the unwavering commitment to excellence demonstrated by the Flint Early Childhood Collaborative’s partner organizations, including the Genesee Intermediate School District, Flint Community Schools, and Educare Flint,” said Dr. Ja’Nel Jamerson, President and CEO of the Flint Center for Educational Excellence.
“Our shared goal of providing outstanding early childhood education opportunities to all Flint kids ensures that Educare Flint and Cummings Great Expectations serve as beacons of quality and models for early childhood education both in Flint and throughout Michigan,” he added.
“This recognition reflects the strength of what we can accomplish together on behalf of Flint’s youngest learners. Through our partnership with the Flint Early Childhood Collaborative, we are ensuring that children enter our schools ready to learn, grow, and succeed from day one,” said Dr. Latoya Summey, Director of Countywide Programs for the Genesee Intermediate School District.
The first five years of a child’s life are critical for shaping and determining their futures. The Flint Early Childhood Collaborative works to ensure that Flint kids between birth and age five receive the highest quality early education resources possible. Through partnerships with families, schools, funders, and community-based organizations, the Collaborative offers early childhood education, professional development, and support services to improve education for all Flint kids.
The Flint Early Childhood Collaborative is one of the six initiatives of the Flint Center for Educational Excellence that includes the Flint Parent Collaborative, Thrive Afterschool, Community Education, the Network for School Excellence, and the Community Council on Education.
The Flint Center for Educational Excellence is building an educational ecosystem that works for all Flint kids by providing programs, research, and advocacy that ensure Flint kids, their families, schools, and communities thrive. We accomplish this through a cross-sector partnership to create a cradle-to-career support network connecting people, ideas and resources in tangible ways that strengthen our community through the power of collaboration. To learn more about the Flint Center, visit theflintcenter.org.
