June 2009 Minutes

Great Start Collaborative Meeting
June 29, 2009

In attendance: Bill Lovett, Densise Aungst, Carolyn Belknap, Kathi Clancy, Kolleen Homuth, Jenilee Whisler, JoAnna Kolodziej, Lorraine Manary, Pat Fralick, Phyllis Hess, Shirley Gillespie, Marcia Campbell, Carol Stephan, Sommer Poquette, Jill Hann

New Members Molly Kirtcher and Gretchen Crum from Boyne USA resorts.

Social Emotional Development Resource was shared; more can be ordered if this is found valuable.

Great Start Parent Coalition
a.    Application to business for family friendly sticker through the Chamber of Commerce
b.    Help business think about being family friendly
c.    Parents have shared what they feel makes a family friendly business
d.    Window cling would brand Great Start and let families know what to expect from that business
e.    Advocacy-using social networking sites to talk with families about recent legislative decisions.  Working to educate families on early education facts and the impact of cuts

Questions/Suggestions:  How will we know businesses are family friendly?  Can we involve the Chamber?  It is a great idea to promote that we are a family friendly community.  Are we going to ask questions about job sharing, time off, etc.  Put an article in the newspaper about the Family Friendly Business project.  Talk with other groups about suggestions for what makes a family friendly business i.e. fine tuning and standardization of the criteria.

Frey Foundation Update-The Frey Foundation has decided to support our area in the needs of social emotional development. They will provide money to figure out the infrastructure as well as possible dollars for getting started.  Currently they have a 6 month planning grant to study the system and then develop a proposal to fund the system (implementation grant).

A parent focus group is a huge piece.  They will meet once a month for about 2 hours to figure out the needs and to offer a plan and suggestions for the system.  They had their first meeting and it went very well.  Parents shared stories.  It was a diverse group who really connected and may form their own support group.

*2 family members live in our area which is why they have an interest in investing

History:  Behavior issues in toddlers and preschoolers have risen as a need in the area.  There is a gap in service for children who do not qualify for special education services. A group was established to study the system and see what the needs are and brainstorm solutions.

Early Head Start is going for a huge grant and would provide Infant Mental Health services for qualifying families.  Maybe we could somehow work together for universal access.

Action Agenda

Marcia Campbell reported out on numbers of teens being served.
Denise Aungst-Provided numbers of children in different age groups and numbers in terms of service to children in preschool. See attached on childcare costs from Pam Ward.
Jill Haan-Stepping Stones is now Great Start.  The name was getting to be a challenge with a preschool located in Petoskey with the same name.  Funding was also a consideration for the change since the original dollars to fund the grant have been expended.  There was discussion about 211 which is a national number for human services.
Sommer-Website is being updated, Great Start will present before the steel drum band and provide an introduction, Great Start will also have a booth at the Venetian Festival, a weekly add about the parent coalition is a possibility and the radio add will be up July 1
Kolleen-legislative update, we were going to take this community wide, but exploration showed that there is not a firm foundation.  We need to have a conversation with community members first.  Petoskey School district is going to meet with local community members.  They can then serve as a model and facilitate the process with other schools.
The  September forum is on hold.

Broke into groups for work and goals to be accomplished and reported on at August Meeting:

Physical Health:

Radio advertisement to increase awareness on MI child and Medicaid
Printed flyers and brochures for area agencies, churches, school, etc to be passed out to increase exposure of these services.

Social and Emotional Health:

Continue to work with the Frey Foundation and the behavioral flow char is done.
Work on a question and answer resource library.

Families and high quality child care and education:

ECIC quality improvement grant will help guide us with this area of work.
Bill Lovett will be speaking with the Charlevoix Chamber the 1st week of August and will take Great Start information with him.
Link MI works and Jet Training.

Families support and guide the early learning of their infants and toddlers:

Packet for homeless families
Meet with the court on court ordered childcare.
Assist with the family friendly business window clings.

Jill Hann formally has resigned as the chair of the executive committee. The executive committee consists of:

Director: Sommer Poquette
Chair:___________________
CoChair: Shirley Gillespie
Secretary:________________
Parent Coalition Coordinator:  Jenilee Whisler

If you would like to be on the executive board or nominate someone for this position please email sommer at greatstartforkids@gmail.com

Misc:

•    Medicare-There are brochures available for Health Care.
•    Contact legislatures regarding the cuts….get out information on how these cuts impact people and provide names of the legislators who support Early Childhood and who do not. See attached email lists and documents for legislative assistance.
•    Email any formal committee recommendation to greatstartforkids@gmail.com

Next meeting:  August 26th after the HSCB   10:45 – 12:15

Motion:  moved by Bill, 2nd Marcia

July 29th-make up meeting, business/parent coalition. Tentative and more information will soon be emailed.