In 2009, a large group of parent education professionals met to discuss the growing need for increased coordination of parent education trainings and workshops across the county.  Many agencies and organizations offered opportunities for parents to build their skills, but programs struggled to recruit parents and budgets for training and other materials were being reduced due to lack of funding. 

During its community planning for early childhood, the Great Start Collaborative had recently identified parent education as an area of focus for its work in the Jackson community to increase school readiness and worked with the group of parent educator's to develop a meeting schedule to begin developing a coordinated parent education system.  The Parent Educator's Group (PEG) was born. 

Since its formation, the Parent Educator's Group has worked collaboratively to increase funding for parent education, improve the quality of trainings offered, and to increase awareness and access to available trainings.  Contact us to learn more or to join us for our next meeting. 

Parenting Counts

To further strengthen the parent education system available to parents of young children county-wide, the Great Start Collaborative secured funding through Consumers Energy to provide Parenting Counts(R) training and materials to professional parent educators county-wide.  Parenting Counts is a research-based training program designed to provide professionals with the knowledge and skills to help parents and caregivers raise socially and emotionally healthy children.

Through the Parent Educator's Group, Great Start provides free Parenting Counts training and materials to professionals who work with families and other caregivers in Jackson and Hillsdale Counties.  The purpose of this effort is to ensure parents and other caregivers have access to quality learning opportunities and materials to help them provide a great start for their children.

Many local organizations offer free training opportunities for parents and other caregivers.  For a full list of available opportunities to meet your needs, please call 2-1-1 or visit the Central Michigan 2-1-1 website.