This week's Coldwater Area Chamber of Commerce "Member Spotlight of the Week" recognition is going out to the Branch County Great Start Collaborative. Read more below on why the the Branch County Great Start Collaborative
feels that they deserve this week's Spotlight!
Did you know…. That for every $1 spent on early childhood programs and services has a return on investment of 13%!
The Branch County Great Start Collaborative works on behalf of our youngest citizens – children from birth to eight years of age. Research shows and our mission supports that investing in our youngest population creates a great return on investment – for education, the economy, and the overall health of our community.
In 2003, the Great Start System was launched as a movement to educate the public to recognize learning begins at birth, not when a child begins school. In 2005, the Branch Intermediate School District took the lead along with 13 other Michigan Counties to create the Early Childhood Investment Corporation. As a result of that movement, the first phase of Great Start Collaboratives were funded in 2006. Branch County holding the distinction of being one of those first phase collaboratives.
In 2011, Governor Snyder created a State office known as the Office of Great Start (OGS) through the Michigan Department of Education. Our purpose is to assure a coordinated system of community resources and supports to assist all Branch County families in providing a Great Start for their children from birth to age eight. In other words, we want our youngest citizens to have every opportunity to be successful!
The membership of the Branch County Great Start Collaborative, a network of individuals, agencies, parents, and businesses invested in the belief that every child deserves a great start in life and charged with carrying out Michigan’s Early Childhood Outcomes:
- 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 the times of school entry.
- Children are prepared to succeed in fourth grade and beyond by reading proficiently by the end of third grade.
The work of the collaborative is driven by parent voice. The Great Start Parent Coalition (GSPC) is that voice and represents the views, priorities, concerns and needs of parents within the community and provides parents with professional development, training, or workshop opportunities that assist in building public will and support for early childhood. Our local coalition is successfully lead by Sheila Taylor and is comprised of parent volunteers. The membership and leadership of the local GSPC strive to provide local parents opportunities that represents a wide diversity, including but not limited to cultural, socio-economic, geographic, and gender.
