First words. First foods. First steps. When we are raising little ones, we are hyper-aware of every milestone and every “first.” We jot down every proud parenting moment in the baby book or share on social media. But what about the other firsts?
The first cute mispronunciation. The first time they gagged on a food they didn’t like. The first unexpected outburst. The first time we recognized something was amiss. Those are the firsts we don’t hear so much about.
We talked to our own mom, our friends, maybe our pediatrician. We were assured they would “get there.” Our mother’s intuition was telling us we needed to get this figured out.
If only we knew at the time how readily available the help was — and that it was free. If only we had the ability, the means, the understanding of how exactly initiatives like Build Up Michigan can help so that we could see our child finally “get there.” If only we could realize that asking for help does not mean that something is “wrong.”
This is exactly why Detroit Mom is proud to partner with Build Up Michigan.
We know how important it is to keep the lines of communication open and we want to help our fellow mamas understand the amazing services that are available at no cost to you. You do not have to do this alone. You do not have to question what you’re observing and just hope it will fix itself. We are here to help and so is Build Up Michigan.
What is Build Up Michigan?
“Build Up helps parents and their children, ages 3 through 5, get additional educational support as they begin and continue to learn the skills needed to enter kindergarten. We are an initiative of the Michigan Department of Education within the Office of Special Education to provide child find efforts through targeted outreach efforts.”
The goal of Build Up is to raise awareness so that parents know that the state education system is available and ready to assist. They want to identify and locate preschool-aged children who may not be part of a school system yet but can benefit from the programs available. Build Up connects families with early intervention services to ensure they have the best options in front of them. This is key to building a strong foundation for learning and preparing children for kindergarten.
Help is available for you. Services like speech therapy, occupational therapy, and more are offered through your local school district for a variety of special needs.
The Build Up Michigan website has a wealth of information to help you determine if your child would benefit from these services. You can start by reading through some of the developmental milestones expected for 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old children, and then move on to learning about some of the services offered by Build Up.
During the pandemic, there has been a great decline in the location and discovery of children in need of intervention. Build Up wants to spread the word that services are still available, even if you’re more comfortable remaining virtual. We strongly encourage you to try out some of the wonderful activities you can do with your child from the comfort of home through the Thrive From Home section — it’s an incredible resource!
Let Build Up Michigan help you get started.
Mama, if you have questions about your child’s development or milestones, listen to your intuition. The very best thing you can do for the little people who fill your heart and and your days is to get them involved in a program early to ensure they have all the best opportunities available. We want to be sure you get to enjoy that first sigh of relief knowing they are in the right hands.
