Parents must be empowered to serve as their child's advocate and teacher. They play a very important role in the healthy development of their children. During a child's earliest years, their physical and social emotional development is shaped by their parent's knowledge, skills and abilities.
Across Michigan, parents of young children lack easy access to information and resources that will help them be their child's first and most important teacher.
Jackson struggles with many challenges related to parenting including a high number of children born to mothers with less than a high school diploma, high teen pregnancy rates, and a high number of births to unmarried moms.
The Great Start Collaborative of Jackson County recognizes the critical role that parents play in the lives of their children. Parents are the experts on the needs of their families and as such are leaders in their homes, making decisions and choices that have a lasting impact on their children.
Since the launch of Great Start's efforts in 2006, many parent leaders have come together to be part of the Great Start system by advocating for the needs of young children while helping to grow and develop other parent leaders in the community. Great Start is focused on promoting and increasing funding for parent and provider education county-wide to ensure those responsible for preparing our youngest children for success have the tools and skills they need to accomplish this monumental task.
Great Start is also committed to the growth and development of parents as leaders in the community through the growth of the Great Start Parent Coalition.
Highlights of progress to date include:
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Launch of a county-wide professional training program for parent educators using the Parenting Counts and Ready to Learn curriculums to ensure parents have increased access to parent education opportunities.
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Increased learning opportunities for parents focused on parent advocacy, child development and parent leadership.
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Continued success of the Great Start Diaper Drive, an effort of the Great Start Parent Coalition in partnership with American 1 Credit Union's Belly to Baby Expo.
To learn more about the work of Jackson's Great Start Parent Coalition and how you can help, please contact us.
Helpful Resources
Center for the Study of Social Policy - Strengthening Families
Voices for Michigan's Children
