E-News from Great Start Collaborative-Oakland

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.

October/2009

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!

The Early Childhood Investment Corporation has launched a new Great Start website at www.greatstartforkids.org. If you go to the old website address, you will be routed to the new site.

Upcoming Great Start Meetings

Click here to view the GSC-O Calendar Online.

Date	Event/Meeting	Location
Monday, October 12	Parent Coalition Meeting	Stepanski Early Childhood Center, Waterford
Thursday, October 22	Parenting Education & Family Support Subcommittee Meeting	Carehouse, Pontiac
Monday, November 2	Community Engagement Meeting	Oakland Schools, Waterford
Tuesday, November 3	Early Care and Education Subcommittee	Oakland Schools, Waterford
Wednesday, November 4	Social Emotional Health Subcommittee Meeting	Easter Seals, Pontiac
Monday, November 9	Strategic Leadership	Oakland Schools, Waterford
Thursday, November 12	Basic Needs Subcommittee Meeting	Oakland Child Care Council, Bloomfield Hills
Thursday, November 26	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.

Talking Points

Early Childhood Development: An Investment We Can't Afford to Pass Up

Some alarming statistics for children who...

Grow up poor:

Complete 2 fewer years of school
See lifetime earnings reduced by half

Lack stable housing in their early years:

Are almost 20% less likely to finish high school

Face hunger or issues of "food insecurity":

Can cost four times as much to educate

Addressing these and related issues head on (and early in life) will cost society less and help us achieve more than ignoring them will. Research shows that the earlier we make investments, the greater our return will be.

Some good news...

Professor James Heckman's work shows that early childhood development heavily influences health, economic and social outcomes for individuals and society at large. Professor Heckman has proven that there are great economic gains to be had by investing in early childhood development.

Intelligence and social skills are developed at an early age-and both are essential for success

Many major economic and social problems in America-crime, teenage pregnancy, high school dropout rate, adverse health conditions-can be traced to low levels of skill and social ability such as attentiveness, persistence and impulse control
Professor Heckman found that these capabilities are essential ingredients for success in life

Early investment produces the greatest returns in human capital

Early nurturing, learning experiences and physical health from ages zero to five greatly impact success or failure in society
Professor Heckman found that prevention through early childhood development is more life and cost effective than remediation

America's advantage will come from helping the disadvantaged

Disadvantaged families are least likely to have the economic and social resources to provide the early developmental stimulation every child needs as a basic opportunity for future success in school, college, career and life
Professor Heckman found that providing developmental resources pays dividends for the disadvantaged child and society as a whole by providing better future outcomes in social and economic productivity

Quality economic returns come from quality investments in early childhood development

Early childhood programs that give disadvantaged children and their families comprehensive developmental support provides them with the resources for early nurturing, learning experiences and physical health that lead to future success, breaking the cycle of disadvantage
Professor Heckman found that investing in early childhood development for disadvantaged children provides a 10% per annum return to society through increased personal achievement and social productivity.

The Heckman Equation

The Heckman Equation is a call for America to invest in the value of its people:
Invest +Develop + Sustain = Gain

Invest in educational and developmental resources for disadvantaged families to provide equal access to successful human development
Develop cognitive skills, social skills and physical well-being in children early-from birth to age five when it matters most
Sustain early development with effective education through to adulthood
Gain a more capable, productive and valuable workforce that pays dividends to America for generations to come

Recent Research and Resources

For more information on The Heckman Equation click here.

For more information on Partnership for America's Economic Success click here.

For Zero to Three's article on investing in young children click here.

Upcoming Learning Opportunities

A series of workshops to be presented at Oakland Schools this year will focus on inclusion. It is a collaborative effort with preschool special education and general education and is designed to answer questions about the process, legal bases, and other important aspects of inclusion. These five sessions can be attended individually or as a series. For more information 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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Lisa Sturges
Great Start Collaborative-Oakland