Engaging Communities to Support Early Childhood Systems: AIR in Flint, Michigan
The local community in Flint has invested heavily in early childhood systems in response to public health challenges they have faced, including the 2014 water crisis as well as COVID-19 pandemic.
AIR has supported local partners, including newly opened schools and community organizations, to develop and evaluate these on-going efforts.
AIR's work has included program evaluation, child care and enrollment research, capacity analyses, and facilitation of the Flint Early Childhood Research Practice Partnership. Together, these efforts help local leaders use evidence to improve access, quality, and outcomes for young children and families.
Strengthening Flint's Early Childhood Education and Care System
AIR works with organizations across Flint to answer important questions about early childhood education and care. Together, they identify community priorities, collect and analyze data, and share findings that can inform programs, policies, and services.
Key collaborators include:
- The Flint Center for Educational Excellence
- Community Foundation of Greater Flint
- Flint Community Schools
- Genesee Intermediate School District
Through these partnerships, AIR has contributed research and evaluation projects focused on:
Evaluating Educare Flint (2019 - 2025)
AIR served as the local evaluation partner along with HighScope and Harmony Research to help Educare Flint and Cummings Great Expectations understand and improve their impact on children and families. By collecting and sharing data with educators, school leaders, and families, AIR supported continuous improvement efforts that strengthened teaching practices, family engagement, and program quality.
Understanding the Early Childhood Landscape (2019 - 2021)
As part of the Flint Early Childhood Research Practice Partnership, AIR conducted a landscape analysis that provided community leaders with the first comprehensive picture of early childhood program availability and service gaps across Flint. The findings provided a foundation for community planning and helped guide future research, data use, and system improvement efforts.
Examining Coordinated Enrollment (2019 - 2021)
AIR partnered with the Community Foundation of Greater Flint and Genesee Intermediate School District to examine how Flint's coordinated enrollment system was planned and implemented. Through interviews, surveys, and enrollment data analysis, AIR identified lessons learned and provided recommendations to help local leaders strengthen the system and improve families' access to early childhood programs.
Assessing Early Childhood Capacity and Needs (2024 - 2026)
AIR worked with Genesee Intermediate School District to examine local child care capacity, enrollment needs, and the costs of delivering high-quality early learning programs. The findings provided community leaders with data to inform planning and funding decisions, helping them identify opportunities to expand access and strengthen the early childhood system.
A Community-Centered Research Partnership
A cornerstone of this work has been AIR’s facilitation of the Flint Early Childhood Research Practice Partnership that was formed in 2020.
The partnership brought together educators, school and district leaders, family advocates, families, funders, community organizations, and researchers who share a goal in improving early childhood policy and practice in Flint.
Rather than conducting research independently, AIR works alongside community members throughout the process. Partnership members help identify research questions, interpret findings, and determine how results can be applied to local programs and decision-making.
This approach helps ensure that research reflects community priorities and produces findings that are relevant, useful and actionable.
Building Knowledge to Support Children and Families
Over time, AIR's work in Flint has grown into a portfolio of projects that support the community's efforts to strengthen early childhood education and care.
By combining research expertise with local knowledge, AIR helps community leaders better understand what is working, where challenges remain, and how systems can continue to evolve to meet the needs of children and families.
