Young Children Priority One Program

Programs Impacting Children from Birth to Age 8

Kiwanis of Michigan Foundation is a non-profit foundation that supports child and family life services at four Michigan hospital. These services are not typically covered by insurance but are deemed important in creating an environment to assist in the patient’s recovery. The hospitals are: C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, Ann Arbor, MI; Children’s Hospital Foundation, Detroit, MI; Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital, Grand Rapids, MI; Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, Grand Rapids. The Foundation is supported by Kiwanis Club and individuals through annual contributions.

Infant Car Seat/Pack & Play products are supplied to the Beginnings Care for Life Center for their “Earning & Learning Program” that allows participants to earn points while receiving parenting and life-skills education.  Points may be exchanged for new baby clothing, diapers, larger baby-care items (such as car seats and strollers) and gift cards.

Dolly Parton Imagination Library is a program sponsored by the United Way of Branch County that mails books to children from birth to age 5. Funding for the program determines the number of children that will receive the free books. The cost is $2.10 per month per child.

Laundromat Literacy places books in local laundromats. The project includes setting up a bookcase, reading mat and stocking the location with books.

Child Abuse Prevention Awareness Council receives the funding from us to provide Safe Sleep books for mothers’ bags and stickers for car seats providing emergency contact information to new mothers delivering at ProMedica Regional Hospital.