Why Parents Are Skipping Michigan’s Free Preschool Program with Susannah Barnes Petitt

Michigan expanded its state-funded pre-K program by 20,000 seats—but only 6,000 children enrolled. Why are parents opting out of free preschool programs like Head Start and the Great Start Readiness Program? In this episode, Chris Spangle talks with Susanna Barnes Pettit, a social mobility fellow with Young Voices, about parental choice, preschool funding, and why families still prefer community-based options like parochial or nature-based schools. Chris and Susanna also explore how universal pre-K fits into broader education debates, discuss their own childhood experiences, and reflect on what parents truly want in early childhood education.

Chapters:
00:00 – The Debate Over Universal Pre-K
01:01 – What Is Head Start and GSRP?
04:22 – Why Some Parents Skip Preschool
06:35 – Who Benefits Most from Pre-K?
07:47 – Public vs. Community-Based Programs
10:35 – The Funding Problem for CBOs
13:18 – Why 14,000 Seats Went Unused
15:27 – Parental Values and Choice
20:24 – Alternatives to Government Preschool
22:39 – Public School Funding Struggles
27:50 – The Importance of Reading to Kids
30:00 – Final Thoughts on Preschool Options