Marygrove Early Childhood Education Center

We have multiple openings for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers from 6 weeks to age 5.

We are on schedule to open September 2021.

We plan to schedule tours starting in late spring/early summer 2021, but only as pandemic health data allows. We will keep all interested families updated with tour information.

Not necessarily. Priority will be given, however, to families who reside in a 1- to 2-mile “catchment” area surrounding Marygrove.

• These priority areas are the same as The School at Marygrove’s catchment areas.
• Families living elsewhere are invited to apply, but will not receive the neighborhood enrollment priority.

• These priority areas are the same as The School at Marygrove’s catchment areas.
• The primary area is bound by 7 Mile to the north, Parkside St. to the east, Fenkell St. to the south, and Appoline St. to the west.
• The secondary area is bound by 8 Mile to the north, Schoolcraft St. to the south, and Marlowe St. to the west. Please refer to the catchment area map for the eastern boundary.

• Yes! All of the valued Marygrove campus partners, including Starfish Family Services, are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Our student enrollment priority criteria ensures a diverse student community within a diverse Marygrove campus community.
• Our curriculum is based on social justice and was crafted to uplift a diverse spectrum of little learners in an urban setting.
• Our staffing plan focuses on recruiting the most passionate and talented employees and educators who represent the families we serve.

• Applications are accepted year-round and are reviewed on a monthly basis.
• If your child is not enrolled during the monthly application review, families may choose to join the waitlist.
• Applications on the waitlist will be considered in subsequent monthly reviews based on when the application was first submitted, along with the enrollment priorities. (See also “Applying & Enrolling”)

• Our center is unique in that it reflects a “braided model” of enrollment.
• This means that some students may be eligible for federal- or state-funded support (Early Head Start, Head Start, Great Start Readiness Program) and others pay private tuition.
• 2021-2022 tuition rates:
  • Infants and toddlers – $325 per week
  • Preschoolers – $275 per week
  • Extended care fee – $50.00 per week
• Scholarships or other types of subsidy assistance may be available.
• Starfish Family Services will work with families who may need resources to help offset tuition costs.

• Studies have shown a very real need for more early childhood seats. According to IFF, 27,000 children in Detroit lack access to early childhood education.
• We are excited to help serve the neighborhoods by helping fill this gap, and are eager to work with providers in the area to ensure every child has equal opportunity to the best education possible.

The first step of the enrollment process is filling out our online pre-registration form. Once submitted, you will be contacted by a friendly Starfish Family Service Guide, who will help you to complete the enrollment process. This includes providing a list of required documents and deadlines. For example, documents reflecting proof of income are needed for families to be eligible for federal- or state-funded support, or possible scholarships or other subsidy assistance.

Starfish bases decisions on enrollment priority points, along with the availability of seats within each funding source for each age group.

• Starfish reviews each application using a rubric (a set of guidelines) that includes a consistent set of enrollment priority criteria.
• Starfish uses the rubric to assign each applicant a certain set of “enrollment priority points,” such as:
  • Whether your family lives in the primary or secondary priority areas
  • Whether your child has a sibling already enrolled at the ECE Center or The School at Marygrove.
  • Head Start-applicable priorities, such as whether your child has been diagnosed with disabilities, chronic health conditions, etc.
  • Family economic needs, such as whether parent(s) or caregiver(s) are employed, number of parents in the household, etc.
• Starfish also has a predetermined number of seats designated for children eligible for federal funding (Head Start and Early Head Start), state funding (Great Start Readiness Program), and private-pay tuition.

• Enrollment decisions are made at the end of each month, starting late March 2021.
• You will be notified during the last week of each month if your child is enrolled.
• If your child is not enrolled, you will have the option to join the waitlist for the next month’s enrollment cycle.
• Applicants will be considered based on when your family’s application was submitted, along with the enrollment priorities.

• Your child may not have been enrolled during a particular cycle if other applications earned higher enrollment priority points. For example, more families may have applied from the primary catchment area. The Starfish team is happy to discuss enrollment priority points with you further.
• Your child may not have been selected during a particular cycle if the seats for your child’s particular age group have already been filled. Families may choose to join the waitlist and be notified as seats for your child’s age group become available in the future.

• No! Most seats at the center are not designated for tuition-paying families.
• 96 out of the total 144 seats (67%) are designated for federally- or state-funded seats, including Head Start, Early Head Start, and Great Start Readiness Program. Income-eligible families will automatically be considered for those available seats.

No. Starfish does not give enrollment priority to children of staff at Starfish or its partners in the Marygrove P-20 Project, including The School at Marygrove, University of Michigan, and the Marygrove Conservancy.

You will work with your Starfish Family Service Guide, our Assistant Principal, and School Administrative Assistant to complete all the required forms, and any applicable registration fees.

• Our center is unique in that it reflects a “braided model” of enrollment.
• This means that some students may be eligible for federal- or state-funded support (Early Head Start, Head Start, Great Start Readiness Program) and others pay private tuition.
• 2021-2022 tuition rates:
  • Infants and toddlers $325 per week
  • Preschoolers $275 per week
  • Extended care fee $50.00 per week

• Yes. There is an annual registration fee, which secures your child’s space for the following school year.
• 2021-2022 registration fee:
  • $200 per student
• Some families may be eligible for a waiver.

Answers coming soon ..

Scholarships or other types of subsidy assistance may be available. Starfish Family Services will work with families who may need resources to help offset tuition costs.

• Yes! If your child stays at the Starfish ECE Center until they enter kindergarten AND they are residents of the city of Detroit, they will be guaranteed a place in The School at Marygrove’s kindergarten class.
• Additional seats will be available at The School at Marygrove for students who did not attend the Starfish ECE Center or who are not residents of Detroit.

The School at Marygrove’s elementary program will open in fall 2022, beginning with K-2 grades and expanding one grade each year.

12 classrooms with no more than 8 children in infant/toddler classrooms and 16 in preschool classrooms.

School is in session Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. with extended day programming offered daily from 3:30-6:00pm.

• We believe academic and social success are achieved through a whole-child focus. This means offering high-quality early childhood education and addressing behavioral health needs.
• The Marygrove Early Childhood Center will provide comprehensive early childhood programming that connects families with infants, toddlers, and preschoolers to the services they need to flourish.

Great First Eight (for infants and toddlers) and Connect4Learning (for preschoolers) are brand new, high-quality curriculum customized specifically for ECE Center little learners.

• Developed in collaboration with nationally recognized University of Michigan education scholars
• Culturally responsive and aligned to the latest research and standards
• Priority placed on diversity, equity, and inclusion
• Aligned to national standards in science, social studies, mathematics, literacy, social and emotional learning, and social justice
• STEM & social studies emphasis
• Focus on interactive, hands-on learning and individual creativity
• Crafted for a seamless transition as children graduate from preschool to K-12 on the same campus.

Starfish supports each child’s individual development to reach their highest potential. We encourage little learners with individualized lesson plans that are responsive to each child’s interests, strengths, and needs.

• The developers of the Great First Eight and Connect4Learning curriculums will support our early childhood teaching teams.
• In addition, Starfish’s Early Childhood Specialists are trained in both curriculums and provide classroom support for teachers to implement the curriculum.

• We require that teachers hold a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education (or equivalent degree program) with a minimum of two years’ experience working in an early childhood classroom.
• It takes far more than a degree, however, for the right person to flourish at Marygrove. They need passion, purpose, and potential.
  • Educators who are dedicated to celebrating diversity and equity in the classroom.
  • Educators who are fearless about jumping into a pioneering environment that is very high profile.
  • Educators who are committed to radically redefining education for young children.
  • Educators who are committed to partnering with families to successfully support their little learner.

The University of Michigan SOE, the Detroit Public Schools Community District, Marygrove Conservancy, and Starfish Family Services will engage in shared professional development that supports the campus and its mission.