Mission

St. Clair County will have a coordinated system of community resources and supports to assist all our families in providing a great start for children from birth through age eight.

Vision

Every child in St. Clair County will have a great start in life. They will be safe, healthy, and eager to succeed in school and in life.

Early Childhood Outcomes (Outlined by the Governor)

  1. Children born healthy;
  2. Children healthy, thriving, and developmentally on track from birth to third grade
  3. Children developmentally ready to succeed in school at the time of school entry
  4. Children prepared to succeed in fourth grade and beyond by reading proficiently by the end of third grade

Workgroup Goals

  • Early childhood services/programs are reaching and engaging all families in need of support/early childhood programming and information.
  • Improve maternal and child health outcomes through an active collaboration with WIC, the GSC, and GSPC.
  • Increase access to high-quality early care and education services and supports.
  • Children in St. Clair County have access to early literacy services that are high-quality.

Identified Gap: The childcare crisis continues to be a priority in St. Clair County and across the state. New partnerships were created in 2022 leading to increased grant awards and new projects heading into 2023.

2022 Collaborative Accomplishments

  • There were 871 referrals made to the HUB between 10/1/21 and 9/30/22. Pregnant women made up 47% of the referrals.
  • Partnership with McLaren Port Huron continues with social worker providing early childhood literacy bags that includes information about programs in St. Clair County to all new moms.
  • New Talking is Teaching literacy spaces in restaurants and laundromats. This project will bring literacy to families in the spaces they visit.
  • A new Regional Literacy Support Hub partnership enabled the GSC to distribute more than 1,700 books to families that have limited access to literacy resources.
  • Help Me Grow launched Ages & Stages Questionnaire, a free developmental screener available to all families in St. Clair County.
  • St. Clair County RESA along with the EDA partnered to write and receive the Michigan Tri-Share Child Care grant. Tri-Share builds a partnership between businesses, child care facilities, and families splitting the cost of child care three ways.
  • A new Child Care Tuition Assistance grant was awarded by the United Way to support families returning to work and the cost of child care.
  • The GSC, St. Clair County Library, St. Clair County Rec, Megan Simmons – State Farm, and the Community Foundation partnered together to put a StoryWalk in at Fort Gratiot County Park.

Chair: Julie Pemberton, Blue Water Community Action
Support Staff: Riley Alley, St. Clair County RESA

 

2023 Meeting Calendar

Early Childhood Meeting Dates