By Gari Voss
On Thursday, August 20, 2026, Community Action of Allegan County (CAAC) invited the community to gather at the Early Childhood building on Grand Street to celebrate the groundbreaking of a brand new Early Childhood Center. The Early Childhood Programs had moved into the previous United Way building, but knew that they required more space to properly provide the programs and support to the 0-5 year old children of Allegan County and their families.
The ceremony was opened by Mike VanDenBerg, CAAC Board Chair, who thanked the CAAC Board Members, community partners, the Capital Campaign Committee, and CAAC staff. The podium was then shared by West Michigan Regional Manager Peter Kalogiros from Senator Elissa Slotkin’s office, District Director Tim Culver for the Speaker of the MI House of Representatives Matt Hall, Administrative Director Amy Langeler from Speaker Pro Tempore Rachelle Smit’s office, and Allegan County Administrator Robb Sarro.
Each shared messages from senate and congressional leaders regarding the importance of Early Childhood Education for the health of Allegan County, the State of Michigan, and beyond.
Kalogiros, for Senator Slotkin, thanked Community Action, the educators, their partners, local leaders, and families who made the project possible. He explained that though the groundbreaking is for a building, the investment is in the people, especially the potential of the youngest Michiganders.
The first years of life must offer experiences that lay the foundation for how children learn, grow, build relationships, and eventually enter the elementary classrooms. That is what makes Early Head Start vital to the community as the staff provides programs for children while working with parents and families on learning, health, nutrition, and overall well-being.
He reiterated that Senator Slotkin believes Early Childhood experiences must be part of the conversation in strengthening Michigan families and building a stronger economy. The Early Childhood experience prepares children for school while giving support to parents as the children build a future in Michigan. This is why federal investment in Early Childhood matters.
Executive Director Lisa Evans took a moment to thank the architect, design and construction teams of Lakewood Construction for walking with CAAC on this journey since 2020. The new building will provide eight Early Head Start classrooms for 0-3 year olds, 1 Head Start classroom for 3-5 year olds, a Wellness room, a Therapy room, a kitchen, education space, and a playground designed for the young children.
As with any project of this magnitude, funding is essential. Evans explained, “The primary funding for the construction comes from a federal grant received from The Office of Head Start for the expansion of early education. This grant was received by CAAC in 2020. The Office of Head Start (OHS) is the U.S. federal agency that oversees Head Start programs. It is an office within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), which is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
“The Office of Head Start administers ongoing grant funding and provides oversight to the agencies like Community Action of Allegan County that deliver Head Start services across the United States. OHS ensures that programs meet federal standards, supports program management, and works with state and local partners to expand access to early childhood education, health, and nutrition services for low-income children and their families
“$4.7M was awarded in 2020. Community Action is currently engaged in a capital campaign to raise an additional $1.4M to support the entire construction cost of $6.1M for the Early Education Campus.”
Community Action of Allegan County coordinates several vital programs across the county. In addition to the Early Head Start and Prenatal Services (0-3 year olds) along with Head Start (3-5 year olds), CAAC provides Home Based services for prenatal-age 5, Crisis Utility Assistance, Senior Transportation, Volunteerism Programs, a Diaper, Commodity Suppliment Food Program, Emergency Food Assistance, Weatherization Assistance, Metered Water Assistance and classes to gain certification.
For information or assistance in gaining enrollment into any of the CAAC Early Education Services, call 269 673-5472 ext. 237. CAAC provides Help Me Grow activities and coordinates services with the Allegan Public Schools, and Little Tigers to ensure that alls children receive the appropriate program and services.
