A team led by Christina Weiland, Karl and Martha Kohn Professor of Social Policy and co-director of the Education Policy Initiative, and Catherine Asher, assistant research scientist at the Youth Policy Lab, has been selected for the University of Michigan Bold Challenges Accelerate Initiative to pursue research aimed at improving access to early interventions for children with disabilities.
High-quality early intervention services are crucial, as children’s brains undergo rapid development in the first three years of life. Early investments yield long-lasting benefits for learning, social-emotional growth, and school readiness. However, significant disparities persist: Michigan children from low-income and minority backgrounds are far less likely to receive early intervention services, even when they are eligible.
Early On, Michigan’s statewide early intervention program managed by the Michigan Department for Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP), provides support, resources, and learning opportunities for infants and toddlers from birth to age three who have developmental delays or disabilities. By empowering families to incorporate learning into daily routines, Early On helps minimize the impact of developmental challenges and prepares children for future success.
Partnering with MiLEAP, the research team aims to identify barriers and promote solutions to ensure all Michigan families—regardless of background—have access to effective services. By analyzing statewide data, the researchers hope to inform strategies that improve child and family outcomes in Michigan and set a model for best practices nationally.
Awarded in January 2025, the grant has enabled the team to lay critical groundwork for a large-scale research-practice partnership. The researchers have held regular meetings with state partners to refine research questions, compile and standardize Early On data to map and analyze staffing patterns across the state, and establish frameworks for tracking longitudinal student-level outcomes over time.
About the Bold Challenges Initiative
The Bold Challenges Initiative has awarded nearly $1 million in grants to 10 University of Michigan teams pursuing large-scale, interdisciplinary grants. The Bold Challenges “Accelerate” program offers expert consulting and financial support for activities directly related to increasing the probability of a competitive and successful proposal for a specific funding opportunity. Teams on track to submit a large-scale proposal within two years are eligible for financial support of up to $125,000.
“These projects are fantastic examples of what interdisciplinary team facilitation and specialized proposal development can lead to,” said Arthur Lupia, vice president for research and innovation in a press release. “Our researchers are tackling the world’s greatest challenges, and the development support initiatives like Bold Challenges offer are a key part of our university’s efforts to serve the world through research.”
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