History of our Initiative Work in Washtenaw County
In October, 2004, individuals across our community came together to form the Washtenaw Project Great Start Leadership Commission, committed to addressing the challenges of providing supportive and positive early childhood development to all children in Washtenaw County.
This commission is made up of community members from throughout Washtenaw County, and includes leaders of area businesses, city and county governments and school districts, parents, labor organizations, social service agencies and non-profit organizations. The Commission continues to act as the policy and planning board behind the activity of the full initiative.
The Six Recommendations
The Commission developed these six recommendations for change in Washtenaw County – all focused on supporting the Washtenaw Success by 6®, A Great Start Initiative, mission: to ensure that every child in Washtenaw County will start school ready to succeed.
- Conduct a public education campaign with ongoing, long-term focus on promoting supportive and safe parenting and quality child care/early education.
- Launch a county-wide campaign to increase and maintain enrollment of eligible children in publicly-funded children’s health insurance programs as early as possible in their lives.
- Make training and skill building in best practices increasingly available and accessible to child care and early education workers.
- Increase the quantity and coordination of home visiting services and parenting support services.
- Develop an easily accessible and coordinated approach to providing contact information, assistance and referral about
available services. - Formalize a planning and policy support entity that parallels the state’s Early Childhood Investment Corporation approach to implement the recommendations of Great Start.
