Celina Byrd’s favorite color is pink. In 2010, when she ran a childcare center, she decided to paint the walls pink—without realizing that the color might be distracting for children.
“Back then, there wasn’t much research on something as simple as paint colors,” Byrd recalls. “Now we know that, for children between the ages of 0 and 8, specific colors can either calm them or stimulate their brains.”
Byrd now serves as the Michigan director of early childhood strategy for IFF, a nonprofit organization that provides financing and consulting to improve education, healthcare, and affordable housing in the Midwest. Through IFF’s Learning Spaces program, Byrd helps childcare centers enhance their environments by offering grants and design consulting services.
IFF is part of Hope Starts Here, a city-wide initiative that works to support young children and families through coordinated efforts and shared goals. The initiative focuses on six core objectives, with IFF leading efforts to create safe and inspiring environments for Detroit’s children. This includes upgrading facilities by improving air quality, lighting, classroom decor, ventilation, noise control, and outdoor spaces—all of which impact children’s ability to learn.
Byrd explains that small changes in a childcare space can make a big difference. “Some children may feel overstimulated in noisy environments,” she says. “We also know that natural lighting is beneficial to children’s focus, and we want to bring the outdoors in to connect them with nature.”
Since its inception, the Learning Spaces program has invested nearly $3.5 million to improve 52 childcare and early education centers. In addition, IFF administers the State of Michigan’s Caring for MI Future: Facilities Improvement Fund, which has granted $6.4 million to help expand or improve childcare programs in Detroit.
One notable example is the Marygrove Early Education Center, which serves 144 children, from birth to age 5. Byrd, who was once the lead at Marygrove, says IFF is very intentional about choosing colors that foster a calm, focused atmosphere. “Bright orange can be overwhelming for some kids, so we choose softer, pastel tones that promote a more serene environment,” she explains.
In Southwest Detroit, IFF partners with the Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation (DHDC) to improve informal childcare spaces. Many families in this area rely on neighbors or relatives to care for their children, and these informal caregivers often lack the safety equipment and educational tools found in formal childcare centers.
Goya Diaz, DHDC’s family services director, explains that informal providers may not have necessary safety measures like smoke detectors or carbon monoxide monitors. To address this, DHDC offers a seven-week workshop in Spanish, teaching caregivers about brain development, nutrition, safety, and more. Upon completing the program, providers receive a home safety assessment and may qualify for mini-grants to improve their facilities.
Diaz says these workshops emphasize the educational role of childcare providers. “We teach them that kids are learning sponges at such a young age,” Diaz notes. “Providers are not just caring for the child—they’re also helping them learn through play.”
Through mini-grants, IFF supports informal providers in making necessary improvements to their homes, such as installing safety equipment or improving lighting for nap areas. These grants help ensure that children have safe, nurturing environments where they can thrive.
Additionally, DHDC provides a support group for caregivers, offering mental health resources and assistance with basic needs like food and healthcare. “Some of our providers work with children on the autism spectrum, which can be overwhelming,” Diaz says. “It’s important for them to have a support system, so we guide them to the services they need.”
Byrd believes that improving Detroit’s early childhood spaces is essential for providing quality care and education. “Imperative 4 encourages us to rethink the status quo,” she says. “Every child deserves a learning environment that celebrates who they are and who they can become. It’s about setting a standard for all children, regardless of where they live or their economic background.”
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