Ask your Candidates: Child Care
Local Those in the industry agree there is no market solution – families can’t afford to pay more, and the labor-intensive industry can’t cut costs. Instead, more money is needed…
Ask your Candidates: Lead and other environmental hazards
Local “The Kent County Health Department works with families to identify lead and other environmental hazards.. The health department has recently gone from three to six sanitarians, thanks to funding…
Local Collaboration Lowers Risk of Lead Poisoning Among Children
The air young children breathe, the home where they spend most of their time, and the yard where they play, may all contain a danger that can damage developing brains:…
Photo by Ev on Unsplash
Families Experiencing Homelessness
(Data sourced from KConnect analysis, 2018 Video created by Heart of West Michigan United Way, 2018) When you think of homelessness, many of us conjure up the image of the…
Photo by Marcus Lenk on Unsplash
Questions to Ask: Housing
Housing County-Level Questions The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) gave states and localities unprecedented funds in the wake of COVID. Kent County alone received $127,605,800 million dollars and the city…
Questions to Ask: Birth Equity
Birth Equity As the November election approaches, we want to equip you with questions you can ask your candidates that are centered around the issues that are important to give…
2022: Get to Know Your Candidates
The Normal was Never Enough campaign is working to bring attention to childhood disparities in Kent County. While many are working at the community level to bring about change, we…
Make your Voice Count – Normal was Never Enough
The promise of another new school year puts added distance between us and the Covid-19 pandemic. While the virus is still with us, the massive disruptions to work, school, and…
Barriers to Navigating Early Childhood
Guest blog by Sarah Wilson and Jenn Harrod, Health Net of West Michigan Being a parent or caregiver is no easy task. This is especially true for expectant parents, seasoned…
How police violence impacts childhood development
In the months after a Grand Rapids police officer killed Patrick Lyoya, community members have come together to grieve, remember, march, protest, and demand justice. Much of it has unfolded…