Great Start Collaborative

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We are excited to share some wonderful news! Funding for Michigan's Section 32p Early Childhood initiative has been restored in the FY27 State Budget after being eliminated last year.

While we are still waiting for guidance from the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MILEAP) on what this means for local implementation, this is a very positive step forward for supporting young children and families across our communities.

Funding is expected to begin October 1, 2026, and continue through September 30, 2027. As more information becomes available, we'll be sure to share updates.

For now, it's business as usual—and we're celebrating this exciting news! Thank you for your continued support of early childhood programs and the families we serve.

Parenting is one of life's greatest adventures—and one of its biggest challenges! Whether you're expecting a baby or raising a child under age 3, Early Head Start is here to support you every step of the way.

Through free weekly home visits, Early Head Start helps families:
📚 Build early learning skills through play and everyday activities
❤️ Strengthen parent-child relationships
🧠 Learn about developmental milestones and child growth
👨‍👩‍👧 Connect with other families through playgroups and community events
🎒 Prepare children for preschool and future success in school
🤝 Access community resources and support when needed

Early Head Start serves expectant families and families with young children who may qualify based on income, participation in programs such as SNAP, TANF, or SSI, foster care status, disability, or housing circumstances.

The first years of life are some of the most important for a child's development. Early Head Start helps parents feel confident, supported, and equipped with tools to help their children thrive.

📞 Interested in learning more?
Hillsdale County: 517-257-9287

Because every child deserves a strong start—and every parent deserves support along the way. 💙

Research shows that talking, reading, and singing with your children regularly from birth helps build important language, math, and social-emotional skills, preparing them for success in school and beyond!

Check out the Talking is Teaching website for additional resources.

Looking for simple, proven ways to help your child’s brain grow and thrive? 🧠💡

Join us for a local parent education opportunity designed just for families with young children!

🗓️ Choose from two dates:

November 7, 2026 OR January 23, 2027

You’ll learn proven, easy, everyday ways to boost your child’s brain power—building skills that can benefit them now and for the rest of their lives! ❤️🧠

👶 Intended for: Expecting parents and parents with a child under age 3 who live in Hillsdale County.

📌 Registration will be required. Details and registration information will be shared closer to each opportunity.

✨ Save the date and watch for more information! ✨

Is your baby’s or young child’s development on track for his or her age? Young

children grow so fast it can be hard to know what to expect. With the newly updated

FREE Milestone Tracker app from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

(CDC), you can learn how children play, learn, speak, act, and move as they grow

and how you can support your child’s development.

• Interactive milestone checklists in English and Spanish for children ages 2 months

through 5 years;

• The ability to adjust the checklist age if your child was born prematurely;

• Photos and videos that illustrate each milestone and make tracking them for your

child easy and fun;

• Your child’s milestone summary to share with others, like your child’s health care

provider;

• Tips and activities that can help your child’s development;

• Information on what to do if you have a concern about your child’s development;

• Reminders for appointments and developmental screening; and

• New milestone countdowns and custom user profiles

Learn more at www.cdc.gov/MilestoneTracker.

• Free tools
• Books for families
• Resources to support developmental screeners
• Helpful resources for parents
• Resources to help promote your child development

Learn more at www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/parents/index

Did you know that there are many Little Free Libraries in Hillsdale County... 18 of which we monitor.

The Great Start Collaborative Family Coalition members volunteer to help keep our Little Free Libraries stocked with children's books throughout the year.

For more information on Little Free Library please visit https://littlefreelibrary.org/

When: Every Friday at 10am
Who: Moms and their little rascals
Where: Hillsdale First Baptist (across from the library)
What: A chance to spill coffee while chatting, and see who can stack the most toy blocks while making new mom friends

Our peer support group for adult females who experienced incest or other sexual abuse as children or teens will NOT MEET in August, September or October. The home where we meet will be under construction and we thought it best to cancel the meetings until the project is completed.

If someone is looking for an alternative in-person meeting, Celebrate Recovery meets every Monday at 6:30pm at the Free Methodist Church 150 Union Street in Hillsdale

We are always available by email, nomoresecrets2014@outlook.com, or anyone wanting information can contact Maria Ansett at 517.974.2330 by phone or text.

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Great Start to Quality allows you to search for all licensed programs in Michigan. You can search in the ways that are most important to you, whether it is by area, cost, or specific needs.

https://greatstarttoquality.org/find-programs/