Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a book gifting program that mails free, high-quality books to children from birth until they begin school, no matter their family’s income.  For more information and how to register your child to receive books visit https://imaginationlibrary.com/category/imagination-library/united-states/

Know! Six R’s for Less Stress Homeschooling

To learn more about the Six R’s for Less Stress Homeschooling click on the following link: Know-Six-Rs-for-Less-Stress-Homeschooling

Roof-Sit Innovation Grant

The 2020 Innovation project is a pilot program geared towards helping parents by equipping them how to encourage learning and sustain positive interactions with their children. This will provide a lasting change in how parents interact with their children in prevention of incidents of abuse and neglect.

This project seeks to change the cycle of abuse and neglect for families in a positive, active, developmentally appropriate way.  The kits will provide materials and supplies with guidance to envision success as a parent during their visits with their children.

These kits provide families with fun learning materials suitable for young children according to their age group, a Resource Guide, Talking is Teaching materials, and a learning manual that corresponds with the materials provided in the kit or found around the home.

Learning kits were first created by the GSRP staff for families to use at home with their preschooler for the remainder of the school year during COVID-19.

The positive parent and child interaction and learning gives them both an overall feeling of well-being and increases the impact for the child to be healthy, thriving and developmental on track.

Advocacy Awards 2020

At the March Great Start Collaborative meeting Sarah Matthews accepted on the behalf of Cass County Youth Council the Community Advocacy Award presented by Anna Carter the Great Start Cass Collaborative Director. Vicki Foote was awarded the Parent Advocate Award presented by Stephanie Knepple the Great Start Cass Parent Coalition Parent Liaison. We greatly appreciate their dedication and passion they express in helping families of Cass County.

The Great Start Collaborative in Cass County works to improve systems and supports for children. The state of Michigan has four important outcomes related to the success of young children.

These outcomes are:

• Children are born healthy.
• Children are healthy, thriving and developmentally on track from birth to third grade.
• Children are developmentally ready to succeed in school at time of school entry.
• Children are prepared to succeed in fourth grade and beyond by reading proficiently by the end of third grade.

The Great Start Parent Coalitions (GSPC), through their membership, work together with the Great Start Collaboratives (GSC) to bring about the changes necessary at the community, county and state level to achieve these outcomes for all children living in Michigan.

The purpose of the local Great Start Parent Coalitions (GSPC) is as follows:

1. Provide a “customer” perspective for the Great Start Collaborative.
2. Educate community members about the importance of early childhood.
3. Support the Great Start Collaborative’s work toward achieving Michigan’s early childhood outcomes.
4. Provide information, education and resources to parents raising young children.