COOR/Iosco Great Start Family Coalition

What is the Family Coalition?

The Great Start Family  Coalition is a “grass roots” organization, which represent the voice of the family, the child and their community to the collaborative. The Great Start Family Coalition is a subset of the Kids Great Start Multi-County Great Start Collaborative. This collaborative is the planning and decision-making body of the Michigan’s Great Start System at the local level. Michigan’s Great Start System includes connecting parents to services that provide the following:

• Child Care and Early Education
• Parenting Leadership
• Family Support
• Pediatric and Family Health
• Social and Emotional Health

While helping to support the Office of Great Start Outcomes which are:

1. Children are born healthy.
2. Children are healthy, thriving, and developmentally on track from birth to third grade.
3. Children are developmentally ready to succeed in school at the time of school entry.
4. Children are prepared to succeed in fourth grade and beyond by reading proficiently by the end of third grade. 

The purpose of the Family Coalition:

• To assist in building public support and will for early childhood investment through parent voice and educational activities at the local and state level;
• To support and be engaged in driving the work of the COOR/Iosco Great Start Collaborative;
• To serve as the parent voice to the Great Start Collaborative to help community partners better understand the needs and concerns of all families in our community; and
• To educate policy-makers on the importance of investing in the first eight years of life and the essential role and parents and families play in the lives of young children.
• Assist in building public support for early childhood investment
• Supports and participates in the assessment and strategic planning work of the Great Start Collaborative
• Strengthens the commitment of parents in the community, on behalf of young children
• Serve as a liaison to the Collaborative, GSRP, Head Start, and Private Preschools

Ways to get involved:

• Regularly attend and participate in Great Start Collaborative meetings
• Support Family Coalition and Great Start Collaborative activities and events
• Actively share information about the Parent Leadership Group through your circle of friends, family and acquaintances
• Volunteer at Great Start Collaborative and Parent Leadership Group events
• Visit , write letters or make calls to your legislators
• Offer feedback about your experiences

*Parents who are members of the Great Start Collaborative and Leadership Group will receive support through a stipend.

Benefits of joining the Family Coalition:

• Parent to parent communication
• Social networking activities with other parents
• Social opportunities for your children
• Access to a network of support from other parents
• Learning opportunities on topics that involve parenting and children
• Helping our community develop a unified statement of standards with regards to early childhood services
• Helping to increase parent leadership and advocacy within your community
• Helping improve the conditions of young children prenatal to age 8 in our 5 counties
• Helping promote laws and policies which create safe and healthy communities for young children by using authentic parent voice
• Having the opportunity to learn more about local resources available to families with young children.

Members should:

1. Support the full and active participation of other Collaborative and Family Coalition;
2. Respect the diversity of opinions that emerge in our discussion
3. Never hesitate to ask questions or share experiences;
4. Assist in the recruitment of new members and in helping us “spread the word” about our efforts to other community organization and community members