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Great Start Collaborative-Oakland
The
purpose of the GSC-O is to assure a coordinated system of community resources
and support whereby ALL Oakland County families have knowledge of and access to
the services they need which will result in their children being prepared and
eager to learn.
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It's Their Future; It's Our Responsibility!
Thank you for your continued interest and support in building our Great Start System in Oakland County.
Great Start Collaborative-Oakland would like to recognize Oakland Livingston Human Service Agency (OLHSA) as our September and October Children's Champion. Thank you for your efforts with GSC Leadership, Head Start and Early Head Start expansion, program participation in Parent Coalition and Parent Conference activities, and dedicated subcommittee participation. What a strong community partner!
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The Great Start
Collaborative for Oakland County would like to recognize two Oakland
County residents appointed by the Governor to the ECIC Executive
Committee and Corporate Board:
- Kenneth Gutman, of West Bloomfield, superintendent of Lake Orion Community
Schools, was appointed to represent the Senate Majority Leader for a term
expiring Dec. 31, 2012. Gutman was also appointed to the ECIC Corporation Board
for a term expiring at the pleasure of the governor
- Anne Mervenne, of Royal Oak, president and CEO of Mervenne & Company,
who was appointed to succeed Stephen Ewing, who resigned, for a
term expiring July 22, 2012. Mervenne was also appointed to the ECIC
Corporation Board for a term expiring at the pleasure of the governor
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Upcoming Great Start Meetings |
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Click here to view the GSC-O Calendar Online.
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Event/Meeting |
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Wednesday, September 9
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Social Emotional Development Focus Groups (one of four)
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Lake Orion Community Schools (CERC), Lake Orion |
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Thursday, September 10
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Basic Needs Subcommittee Meeting
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Oakland County Child Care Council, Bloomfield Hills |
Thursday, September 10
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Social Emotional Development Focus Group (one of four)
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Garden Christian Preschool and Child Care Center, Hazel Park
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Monday, September 14
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Strategic Leadership Meeting
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Oakland Schools, Waterford
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Tuesday, September 15
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Parent Coalition Meeting
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Lake Orion Community Schools (CERC), Lake Orion
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Tuesday, September 15
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Social Emotional Development Focus Group (one of four)
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Building Blocks Preschool, Highland
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Wednesday, September 23
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Advocacy Day at the State Capitol
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Thursday, September 24
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Parenting Education & Family Support Subcommittee Meeting |
Carehouse, Pontiac |
If you are interested in participating in one of the above events/meetings, please contact Darlene Zimny at darlene.zimny@oakland.k12.mi.us or 248.209.2588.
Looking for ways to get involved in the Great Start Collaborative-Oakland? Click here to sign up for one of the three new workgroups or one of the five existing subcommittees.
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| Talking Points |
As the state of our economy continues to worsen, many families with young children find themselves in need of services that help them to meet their basic needs. The focus of this months newsletter is on identifying just a few of those services.
- Basic Needs:
- United Way 2-1-1 is a multilingual, comprehensive information and referral service available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Its database contains more than 20,000 programs and services including child care assistance, medical and prescription assistance, credit counseling and foreclosure assistance, housing and utility resources, legal assistance and more. Dial 2-1-1
- Family Support:
- Michigan Assistance and Referral Service (MARS) provides
information about programs offered by the state of Michigan
that may help families in need with assistance for medical,
nutritional, food, daycare, temporary cash, or other expenses.
MARS will help you determine if your family may be eligible.
Information in English and Spanish. Visit http://www.mfia.state.mi.us/mars/
- Housing:
- At www.michiganhousinglocator.com
you will find rental listings with details in a searchable format. The search
engine on this site allows for lots of search options, such as city, zip code,
whole county, etc. You can even find out if dogs or cats are
allowed. This website also contains links to other state websites
that could be helpful for young families, such as the Lead Safe Housing
Registry. At the Lead Safe Housing Registry you can search for any
address where lead abatement has taken place or where an inspection has been
requested.
- Healthcare:
- Covering Kids & Families
Michigan is a special statewide outreach campaign to enroll 50,000 children in
free and low cost health coverage over the next two years. Beginning with a special statewide promotion now through September, Michigan
Cover The Uninsured Network is asking its partners to make a special effort to
spread the news to families that coverage is available by making a simple phone
call to 1-888-988-6300 or applying online at https://healthcare4mi.com
- Economic Hardship:
- The State of Michigan has
launched a new site in an effort to help Michigan citizens facing economic hardship
find the services they need. Simply click on one of the five tabs for links to
information about jobs and training, unemployment benefits, health care, family
support and housing.
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Recent Research and Resources
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- Did you know that 44% of Michigan adults read below a 6th grade level? A recent free press article focused on the rate of adult literacy in Michigan and the impact it has on the economy and on the employment rate.
- Did you know that 81-86% of respondents on a recent survey conducted by the GSC-O Basic Needs Subcommittee indicated their clients had missed health
care appointments, employment or educational opportunities due to transportation
difficulties? Other findings include:
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81% indicated their clients rely on a personal
friend with an automobile for transportation
- 70% were not aware of HMO transportation options
and 79% who had used this resource were not satisfied with the ease of access
- 73% were not aware of the MI Health Plan website
to help with HMO transportation issues
- 63% were not aware of the Red Cross
transportation options
- 52%
were not aware that DHS can sometimes help with car repairs, car acquisition
- Did you know a new Child Trends study finds that disparities in child
outcomes between poor, at-risk, and more advantaged children are evident as
early as 9 months and grow larger by 24 months of age. These disparities exist
across cognitive, social, behavioral, and health outcomes. The study, Disparities in Early Learning and Development: Lessons from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort (2009), finds low income and low maternal education to be the factors most
strongly associated with poorer outcomes among very young children. It also
finds that the more risk factors a child has, the more profound these
disparities are.
- Did you know the Harlem Children's Zone is changing the lives of thousands of children in Harlem. Here more about Geoffrey Canada's work on NPR's This American Life.
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Join Us For Advocacy Day at the Capitol
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Join us on Wednesday, September 23rd for Advocacy Day at the Capitol where GSC-O staff, partners and parents will be meeting with their local legislators to talk with them about the importance of state funded early childhood programs and services such as Great Start School Readiness Program, Great Parents Great Start, 0-3 Secondary Prevention, and Child Care Development Block Grant. We will also be announced on the floor during the House and Senate session that day! Kids are welcome to join us.
If you are interested, click here to register online or contact Darlene at (248) 209-2588 or darlene.zimny@oakland.k12.mi.us for more details.
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| Upcoming Learning Opportunities |
- The 5th Annual MiAEYC Infant/Toddler Conference will be held Thursday, September 17th, 2009 at the Doubletree Hotel in Dearborn. A preliminary program and registration information will be posted in Mid-July. For more information visit www.miaeyc.org.
- The Michigan 4C Association would like to invite you to support them this year at the Mid Michigan Baby Walk on Sunday, September 27th in Lansing for Tomorrow's Child! Tomorrow's Child provides support to individuals and families that have lost a child as well as information to prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. The walk begins at noon (check in begins at 10:45). You can support Michigan 4C in two ways: (1) walk in the actual event or (2) support a 4C team member with a donation. For more information and to get involved, click here.
- The Michigan Afterschool Collaborative Conference will be held on October 22 and 23 in Dearborn. Visit www.miafterschool.com for more information and a registration form.
- The U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau in collaboration with the Michigan Women's Commission, Early Childhood Investment Corporation and Oakland Community College present "Rising to the Challenge." This conference, to be held on Friday, October 23, 2009 at Oakland Community College in Farmington Hills, provides opportunities to prepare women for successfully dealing with the current economic climate. For more information view the flyer.
- The 19th Annual Community Caring for Healthy Sharing Regional Early Childhood Conference will be held Saturday, November 7, 2009 from 8:00-4:15 in Howell Michigan. For more information visit www.childcare4c.com.
- The 17th Annual Parenting Awareness Michigan (PAM) Conference and 2010 PAM Kickoff will be held on Monday, November 9, 2009 in Lansing. For more information visit www.preventionnetwork.org
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Find Us On Facebook
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Find us on Facebook to get the latest advocacy updates and learn more about the Great Start Collaborative-Oakland.
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Lisa Sturges
Great Start Collaborative-Oakland
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