Action Teams

Our Action Teams

Action Teams are driven by parents, families, and community partners. Join us to help make a difference with children and families in Genesee County.

School Readiness text and school house graphicSchool Readiness

The School Readiness Advisory Committee (SRAC) is an Action Team of the Genesee Great Start Collaborative dedicated to ensuring every child enters kindergarten ready to thrive. By uniting families, educators, and community partners, the SRAC advocates for school readiness, empowers members to share insights, and strengthens connections that support early childhood development. Guided by the needs of our community we address the needs of the child as a whole and make impactful recommendations to enhance the early childhood experience. Things we do:

  • Support Kindergarten readiness efforts

  • Support transition to Kindergarten efforts

  • Support whole-child development

  • Provide information connecting social emotional development with school readiness

Meets virtually on the first Wednesday of the month from 10:00-11:00 a.m.

Prenatal text and pregnant woman imagePrenatal

Great Start Genesee recognizes that becoming a parent, though beautiful, can be challenging and stressful at times. The Prenatal Action Team is working to ensure new parents are aware of the variety of resources available and have proper access to prenatal care. Things we do: 

  • Increase prenatal care by connecting and sharing prenatal services and supports

  • Welcome Baby Bags in collaboration with Early On

  • Connect and partner with obstetric and pediatric medical community

  • Share developmental milestone information with families and community

  • Provide educational workshops and opportunities for families

Meets virtually the first Tuesday of the month from 1:00-2:00 p.m.

Literacy Birth-3rd Grade and reading owl imageLiteracy Birth - 3rd Grade

The Literacy Birth - 3rd Grade Action Team advocates for early language and literacy to be a focused priority that is widely understood and supported in our community. This Action Team is working to ensure parents, caregivers, and community members have an aligned understanding of early language and literacy development on reading proficiency and provides tips and tools to help achieve proficiency. Infants and children with emergent literacy skills are more likely to be ready for school and more likely to be successful throughout life. Things we do: 

  • Support and share an aligned understanding of early language and literacy development on reading proficiency.

  • Provide literacy-based workshops and opportunities for families.

  • Identify innovative ideas for integrating literacy rich experiences in the community.

  • Develop and infuse literacy rich materials and tips for families within the community.

  • Promote the Michigan Literacy Essentials for Early Learning.

Meets virtually the first Wednesday of the Month from 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon.

Talking is teaching text with thought cloud graphicTalking is Teaching

The Talking is Teaching Action Team is developing a public awareness and action campaign that helps parents and families recognize their power to boost children's early brain and vocabulary development through simple, everyday actions - like describing things while walking outside, or singing songs together during bath time. Using books, parent videos, text messaging, social media, and information from expert partners. Talking is Teaching empowers parents, caregivers, and the community with fun and easy ways to support early language and literacy development. Talking is Teaching is a campaign of Too Small to Fail. Things we do:  

  • Develop and support the Genesee “Talking is Teaching: Talk, Read, Sing” community campaign

  • Support and share Talking is Teaching materials in the community.

  • Identify innovative ideas for integrating Talking is Teaching in the community.

  • Provide training as Trusted Messengers of the work.

  • Provide Talking is Teaching training to ensure ease of implementation of materials.

Meets virtually the first Thursday of the Month from 10:00-11:00 a.m.

Local leadership group text with Michigan Home Visiting Initiative logo

Local Leadership Group (LLG) - MDHHS Home Visiting Unit

The Local Leadership Group (LLG) works within our community to support a comprehensive home visiting system that includes an array of services linking pregnant people and young children, and their families to support they may need. Things we do:  

  • Maintain a coordinated system of programs and services that respond to the needs of families.

  • Engage families as partners to learn from their lived experience.

  • Strengthen connections between home visiting programs, early childhood systems, and efforts to improve mother-infant health and equity by working closely with Great Start Collaborative bodies and Regional Perinatal Quality Collaboratives ensuring that everyone has access to the resources and opportunities they need to succeed, regardless of their background or circumstances

Meets virtually and/or in-person (location may vary) the third Wednesday of the month from 1:00-3:00 p.m.

Interested in Joining?

Please contact our team with any questions you may have.