March 17, 2026
LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP) has been awarded a $395,000 grant from the Michigan Health Endowment Fund to expand easy-to-reach behavioral health supports for Michigan early childhood providers. The funding will increase access to convenient, virtual infant and early childhood mental health consultation, connecting educators with expert support to address children’s social and emotional needs in early learning settings.
“The need for strong behavioral and mental health supports for our youngest learners has never been greater,” said Dr. Beverly Walker-Griffea, director of MiLEAP. “In many communities, infant and early childhood mental health consultation is available to only a fraction of the providers who need it. This grant allows MiLEAP to expand availability, support the educators who serve young children every day, and help more Michigan families overcome barriers to essential care.”
Through this initiative, early childhood educators will have expanded access to trained social emotional experts who work with them to strengthen classroom practices. Consultation services support educators by offering guidance, discussion, and problem-solving strategies to address children’s social and emotional development and challenging behaviors.
Delivered virtually, consultation allows child care providers to be connected more quickly with experts who can help them determine how to best support the children in their care, particularly in counties where in-person services are unavailable.
MiLEAP will carry out this work in close partnership with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). MDHHS currently operates infant and early childhood mental health consultation services in 42 counties and will work with MiLEAP to make these supports even stronger and easier to obtain across the state.
“Supporting the mental and emotional well-being of young children is foundational to lifelong health,” said Elizabeth Hertel, MDHHS director. “By partnering with MiLEAP to expand virtual infant and early childhood mental health consultation, we are ensuring early childhood educators can access timely, expert support when they need it most.”
In a recent survey of early childhood educators, 63% identified challenging behaviors as their most significant day-to-day challenge, underscoring a growing need for timely, accessible behavioral health support in early learning environments. The need is particularly evident in rural and northern communities, where infant and early childhood mental health consultation is often limited or unavailable.
“This investment supports MiLEAP’s commitment to ensuring families can access the early childhood education options they choose for their children,” said Emily Laidlaw, deputy director overseeing MiLEAP’s Office of Early Education. “By supporting the behavioral health of children in early learning programs, we are helping keep children happy, healthy, and learning in the environments that work best for their families.”
With this funding, MiLEAP will coordinate statewide implementation, evaluation, and sustainability planning for the Virtual Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation model over the next two years. The project will help strengthen provider capacity and ensure that early childhood settings are better equipped to meet the social and emotional needs of Michigan’s youngest learners and their families.
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About MiLEAP:
Established by Governor Whitmer in 2023, MiLEAP’s mission is to improve outcomes from birth 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
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