Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10
Page 11
Page 12
10GREATSTARTSHERESPRING2012netWORKBYBRENDABRISSETTE-MATAWhentheEarlyChildhoodInvestmentCorporationoeredlocalcommunitiesachancetomatch3millioninAmericanRecoveryReinvestmentActundslastyearGreatStartCollaborativesacrossMichiganusedtheopportunitytostimulateprivateinvestmentorhighqualityearlylearninganddevelopmentprogramscholarshipsorvulnerable3-year-olds.Withstrongcommunitysupportparticularlyromcommunitybusinessestheselocalgroupsoearlychildhoodleaderswhoareworkingtomakeearlychildhooddevelopmentprogramsandservicesworkbetteroramiliesraisedmatchingundsandmadequalityearlylearninganddevelopmentaccessibletomorethan800Michiganchildren.Thesesamechildrenwillbeneftrompublicpreschoolprogramsas4-year-olds.x1cEvidencesupportsthatmostvulnerablechildrenbeneftromtwoyearsohighqualityearlylearningexperienceswhichiswhythescholarshipsocusedon3-year-oldsx1dsaidDirectorKarenRobackwholeadsEarlyLearningInnovationortheInvestmentCorporation.LocalGreatStartCollaborativesusedavarietyowaystoleverageunds.MidlandCountyGreatStartCollaborativeisoneexampleohowacommunitymadethemostoitsconnectionstobeneftyoungchildrenthankstoaspecialgroupocommunitywomen.x1cWeinitiallyappliedora100000grantx1ddirectorErinLauderbachsaid.Butencouragedtotrytoraisemoremoneytheysettheirtargetona120000grant.x1cWebeganwithafrmcommitmentromtheUnitedWayinMidlandCountyor57500andwentromthere.TherewasaCommunityFoundationgrantwrittenbytheMidlandKiwanisClub20000romDowChemicalCo.FoundationanddonationsfromtheMidlandAreaCommunityFoundationandtheMidlandCountyYouthActionCouncil.Justshortothelast10000neededtoreachtheirgoalandunsurewheretheywouldgetitanunexpectedphonecallchangedeverything.x1cWehaveanamazinggroupo100womenintownTheMidland100Clubx1dsaidLauderbach.Theygettogetherquarterlyandtalkaboutcommunitythingstheyshouldsupport.Ididnx19tknowthatoneotheirmembersmadeapresentationaboutoureorttoraisemoneyorpreschoolscholarships.Thewomenvoteonwhattheywanttodoandtheneachwomanwritesacheckor100.Wereceivedexactlythe10000weneeded.x1dThegranthasmadeitpossibletopayulltuitionor743-year-oldsatsevenpreschoolsitesinMidlandCounty.x1cWewantedourmostvulnerablekidsinthehighestqualitysettingsx1dLauderbachsaid.Anad-hoccommitteethatincludedaneducationspecialistHeadStartrepresentativeandothermembersotheMidlandPreschoolPartnershiphelpedsetthecriteriaorevaluatingquality.OthesevensiteschosenfvearepartotheMidlandCountyQualityPreschoolPartnershipandtwoareprivateaith-basedpreschoolsthathadnotbeenengagedinGreatStartworkbeore.LicensedsitesthatwereselectedhadtohavenosubstantialviolationsanduseMichiganDepartmentoEducationapprovedresearch-basedmodels.Finalsitesareinawidevarietyolocationsmakingitpossibleorparentstoselectbasedontheirneeds.x1cSomeparentschooseasitebecauseitx19sclosetowheretheyliveorworkorbecauseitx19swheretheyworshipx1dLauderbachsaid.SitesselectedtoreceivetheundsalsoagreedtotakepartintheGreatStartCollaborativework.x1cItx19sbeenagreatwaytoengagenewpeople.x1dIncomeactorsandriskactorswerealsousedtodeterminethe3-year-oldswhowouldreceivethescholarships.x1cItwasdevastatingocoursetonotbeabletoundeverychildx1dLauderbachsaidnotingthat50childrenwereplacedonawaitinglist.x1cButitwashelpulbecauseweareabletoidentiythechildrenwhoneedpreschoolandwecannowhelpthemtransitionintoahighqualityearlylearninganddevelopmentprogramor4-year-olds.x1dLauderbachcreditedtheirsuccessinmeetingtheprojectx19sgoalstothestrongcollaborativeatmospherethatexistsinMidlandCounty.x1cWeareallworkingtoseethatMidlandx19schildrenhaveaqualitypreschoolexperiencetogetintoandbereadyorkindergarten.x1d