Grant To Help Identify Needs of EUP Children
Great Start Collaborative To Seek Ideas From Parents, Educators, Communities

To help the state evaluate how it is serving its youngest children through health, human services, and education programs, a $120,000 grant has been given in the Eastern Upper Peninsula to identify local needs of children from birth up to five years. One of 21 awarded in the state, the grant will be used to pool the efforts and ideas of local agencies, businesses, and parents to form the EUP Great Start Collaborative, said coordinator Gary Davis in announcing the grant January 24.

Amain focus of the program will be to better prepare children for kindergarten and lifetime learning, to ultimately boost Michigan's educated workforce.

"We will work together to look at the services and programs available to young children in the EUP, and make decisions about strengths and weaknesses," said Mr. Davis. "The state recognizes that the first few years are the most important in a child's life, and can make a difference in that child's eventual place in life."

In its first year, the program will send surveys to health and human service agencies and gather information from businesses, faith organizations, and parent groups to identify needs of young children in the area. The program will consider physical health care, social and emotional health care, parent education and family support, early care and education, and economic security and child safety. Research will be conducted by Mr. Davis from his office at the EUP Intermediate School District, which participated in securing the state grant.

"We'll take a look at things like what percentage of children attend preschool, and what percentage are ready to start kindergarten with full immunizations in each county," Mr. Davis said. "Part of this whole process has to be parents. Parent coalitions are being formed to help us meet the needs of area families."

In Mackinac County, day care provider Sara Johnston will serve as a parent coalition leader. Russ Passage will serve in that capacity in Sault Ste. Marie and Stephanie Steikar will serve in outer regions of Chippewa County. Groups will meet regularly and will share information about local needs for health care, child care, and education with the Great Start Collaborative group.

If funded for a second year, the program's goal would be to form a plan for working together to improve local services.

"In the second year, we would make a plan for how area services could be realigned to better serve families," Mr. Davis said.

The grant is part of $3.15 million the state has invested in forming 21 Great Start Collaboratives across Michigan to coordinate community resources to help young children and their families. The Early Childhood Investment Corporation, announced by Governor Jennifer Granholm in 2005, provides grants from public and private funding sources. W.K. Kellogg Foundation contributed to the Great Start Collaborative grants.

"Children who participate in high quality early childhood development programs are better prepared to enter elementary school, are more likely to pursue secondary education, and have lower dropout rates and higher high school graduation rates," said Marianne Udow, director of the Department of Human Services. "By improving the skills of a large fraction of the workforce, these programs for poor children will reduce poverty and strengthen the state's ability to compete in the global market."

Parents who would like to become involved in the Parent Coalition in their county are asked to call Mr. Davis at the Intermediate School District office in Sault Ste. Marie at (906) 632-3373, extension 119, or visit the Web site www.eup.k12.mi.us.