For many years, state leaders from the public, private and non-profit sectors have struggled to improve the lives and outcomes for Michigan’s young children. Spurred by brain research confirming that early childhood experiences are critical to learning and success potential, many of those leaders in 1999 attended a summit funded primarily by the state and a number of Michigan-based foundations. Out of this grew the Michigan Ready to Succeed Partnership. The goal of the partnership was to have young children enter kindergarten “ready to succeed” in school and in life.

The Michigan Ready to Succeed Partnership laid the groundwork for the state to embrace early childhood development in a more comprehensive way, and as a priority.