Parents have  the most important job in Wayne County.  They work daily to raise their children, the next generation of Wayne County citizens, to be successful in school and in life.  Although they are the first and most important influence in the lives of their children, most parents would agree, they can’t do it alone.

That’s why the Great Start Collaborative-Wayne (GSC-W) is building an early childhood system for our county.  Parents are at the table to work with professionals from all levels of education, physical and mental health, the faith community, local business, and many others to share the latest information on how children develop and learn and how the whole community can be involved in making sure they have what they need to succeed.

Great Start Collaborative-Wayne initially received $150,000 from Michigan’s Early Childhood Investment Corporation.  For this first year of operation, that was enhanced by donations from The Skillman Foundation and others.

Currently GSC-W is building a foundation for making services easy to access, well coordinated and of high quality.  Activities include an assessment of where the children of our county are currently at on a number of indicators of well-being.  That information will be shared broadly in the community.  We will be determining the strengths and resources available and looking at redundancies and gaps in services.  Finally, a strategic plan will be created to lead us into action.  If you want to learn more about this important work or volunteer to help contact us today.