The Child Care Licensing Bureau (CCLB) performs state licensing regulatory duties as required by state laws and federal requirements.
Early learning and development program resources for all children, birth to age eight, especially those in highest need.
The MI Tri-Share Child Care Program is an innovative approach to increasing access to high-quality, affordable child care for working families while also helping employers retain talent and remove one major barrier to employment.
Michigan is one of 20 states selected by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to receive the Preschool Development B-5 renewal grant (PDG).
The PreK for All Initiative helps Michigan families save money while preparing the state’s youngest learners for kindergarten.
The Office of Education Partnerships at MiLEAP oversees both the Governor’s Educator Advisory Council and the Michigan PreK-12 Literacy Commission.
The Office of Family Partnerships coordinates and aligns a statewide system of family-school-community partnerships in support of positive developmental, health and academic outcomes, ensuring every learner in Michigan thrives.
Resources for Michigan’s Out-of-School Time programs and providers.
The Office of Higher Education at MiLEAP convened a 15-member task force to examine how basic needs insecurity affects college students across Michigan. Their goal is to identify effective interventions and recommend policy changes that remove financial barriers to education.
The Michigan Legislature tasked MiLEAP’s Office of Higher Education (OHE) with partnering statewide to improve student transfer and credit acceptance. Through its Transfer Success Project, OHE advances student-centered outcomes using evidence-based strategies and meaningful cross-sector collaboration.
The Universal FAFSA Challenge supports districts in adopting a local universal FAFSA policy and implementing FAFSA completion support in their high schools and local communities.
By 2030, 60% of working-age Michiganders will have a certificate or college degree. Michigan will be a talent leader — fueling the future workforce and providing opportunity for all.
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November 10, 2025
Regional MiFamily Engagement Centers provide connections to support student learning and development, advance literacy statewide
LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP) joins Governor Gretchen Whitmer in recognizing November as Family Engagement Month, celebrating the collaborative relationships between families, schools and community partners that support every learner’s success. Throughout this month and beyond, MiLEAP works to strengthen these connections by providing resources, guidance and support to help learners in Michigan thrive.
“Family Engagement Month is a time to celebrate the powerful relationships that help every learner thrive,” said Dr. Beverly Walker-Griffea, director of MiLEAP. “When families, educators and community partners come together with trust, respect and a shared purpose, our students learn, develop and succeed.”
Research shows that family engagement is one of the strongest predictors of a student’s success. When families are included as educational partners from birth through postsecondary, students benefit across the board—including improved academic performance and behavior, decreased chronic absenteeism, increased graduation and postsecondary rates and greater lifelong health and well-being.
“When we talk about family engagement, we’re really talking about partnership,” said Rawlan Lillard II, deputy director of the Office of Education Partnerships at MiLEAP. “Families are not just participants in a child’s education—they are co-creators of it. Our work across the state focuses on building systems that honor families’ voices, expand their access to resources and create spaces where educators and families grow stronger together.”
MiLEAP coordinates a statewide system that brings together families, schools and community organizations to support positive developmental, health and academic outcomes for every learner in Michigan. Central to this work are 10 Regional MiFamily Engagement Centers, which serve as hubs for resource development and capacity-building for educators and providers working with families, connecting families to resources and supports that help them become strong partners in their child’s learning.
The MiFamily Engagement Framework complements the statewide system by offering research and best practices to help families, schools and community partners collaborate effectively and ensure every student has a pathway to reach their full potential. Building on this foundation, the Family Engagement for Literacy initiative provides tools and guidance to families in helping their children strengthen essential reading and writing skills, bridging classroom learning into the home. Additional resources support family engagement in areas such as academic planning, multilingual learning, equity, assisting families experiencing homelessness and more.
During Family Engagement Month, MiLEAP encourages families, schools and community partners to explore these resources and continue nurturing the collaborative relationships that drive every child’s learning and development.
View the Governor’s Family Engagement Month proclamation.
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About MiLEAP:
Established by Governor Whitmer in 2023, MiLEAP’s mission is to improve outcomes from preschool to postsecondary so anyone can ‘make it in Michigan’ with a solid education and a path to a good-paying job. To learn more about MiLEAP, go to Michigan.gov/MiLEAP.Media Contact:
