Great Start Parent Coalition

Who We Are

Working hand-in-hand with the GSC members, The Great Start Parent Coalition (GSPC) consists of parents and caregivers of children under 12. The GSPC is dedicated to informing and shaping early childhood initiatives, and helping families raise children who are supported and prioritized. Every coalition meeting encourages parents to share stories, participate in workshops, and advocate for assistance at the community, county, and state level.

If you’re a parent, we urge you to join our cause. Take action. Speak up. And discover how influential you can be today.

What We Do

  • Equip parents to be leaders in their families and our community.
  • Partner with providers to offer professional development, as many meetings qualify for Tier II Professional Development hours.
  • Serve as a sounding board to parent representatives and deliver the parent perspective to organizations and agencies within the GSC.
  • Engage with the community, coordinate and participate in outreach activities, public will-building, and advocacy at both the local and state level.

Come to a Coalition Meeting

Join us the second Thursday of every month for a fun filled night. We provide dinner and childcare starting at 5:45pm. Our meetings end at 8pm. Every month, we discuss various topics that come along with parenting children in our community today. Join us at the First CRC 651 Franklin St. Grand Rapids, MI 49507. You can RSVP by email to gsparents@successstartsearly.org or call us at (616) 632-1007.

Directions to First CRC Church >
  • Protect Young Eyes – Internet Safety
    Date: September 14, 2023
    Time: 6:00PM
    Meal/Childcare:

    Chris McKenna, CEO Protect Young Eyes (PYE), will help us kick off the new school year with internet safety tips! . PYE takes complex digital topics and makes them understandable. No one digs into the issues like PYE! PYE has been walking with families, schools, and churches since 2015.

    Chris started PYE because at the time, plenty of people were talking about online problems, but no one was telling parents HOW to fix them.

    PYE mission? PYE shows families, schools, and churches how to create safer digital spaces. PYE does this with a pretty great website, powerful presentations, and a unique learning app for parents who have ZERO free time (and squirrel-chasing, no-focus brains like Chris’!).

    Be confident! Chris wants your family connected AND protected. PYE will show you how. Kids want a digital coach – not a controller.

    Free dinner and childcare will be provided for those that RSVP along with a special raffle. You don’t want to miss out on this powerful information. All caregivers including aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, etc. should hear this information!

Parent Cafés and Support Stations

Our Parent Cafés focus on The Strengthening Families 5 Protective Factors:

  • Resilience
  • Relationships
  • Knowledge
  • Support
  • Communication

Cafés are offered as both Parent Cafés (for moms and couples), as well as Parent Cafés for Dads (for fathers and father-figures).

Interested in Hosting?

Sorry, there are no meetings to show at this time.

GREAT START COLLABORATIVE KENT COUNTY

Funding from the Office of Great Start within the Michigan Department of Education supports the implementation of Great Start.