BISD working with Barry County parents to insure a "Great Start"
It truly "Takes a Village to Raise a Child," and Julie Guenther and Kayla
Wickham are working together with the people of Barry County to insure that
the many needs of 0-4 year olds are met so that these children are ready to
succeed in school and in life, said Barry Intermediate School District
Superintendent Jeff Jennette.
"Ages 0-4 are formative years for children and we are fortunate in Barry
County that many community groups are attentive to their needs. In fact,
research shows that 90 percent of a child¹s brain is formed in the areas of
language, social behavior, problem solving ability, and emotional health
before a child enters kindergarten," he said.
Last year, Barry ISD received a "Great Start" grant from the Early Childhood
Investment Corporation (ECIC) with the hope that BISD can assist the
families of 0-4 year olds and the community in meeting their needs.
The Great Start Initiative is now in every county in Michigan and believes
that there are five principles that help children. These areas are pediatric
and family health, family support, social and emotional health, parenting
leadership, and child care and early education. These five points are
reflected in the Great Start¹s symbol which is a star.
The goal is to involve organizations and parents who can make a difference
in these areas and create a system to meet the needs of the children and
parents of Barry County, Jennette said.
There are many factors (socio-economic, teen pregnancy, etc.) that can
prevent children from having their needs met and this collaborative reviews
data to make suggestions to give every child the same opportunities to
succeed as other children in the county.
"For instance, did you know that in Barry County, homelessness rates for
children as well as the number of women who smoke while pregnant are areas
of concern? At a recent Early Childhood meeting, a video was shown that
stated some facts for 0-4 year olds who don¹t have all of their needs met.
They are twice as likely to be placed in special education and 70 percent
more likely to be arrested for a violent crime as well as other troubling
statistics. Our hope is that this program along with others in the county
will address these issues," Jennette said.
Julie Guenther is the facilitator of the program and besides having
quarterly meetings with the community, she also works with the different
agencies in Barry County. The recently formed group is called the Great
Start Collaborative and is creating a community report on early
childhood/parent issues along with many other matters affecting 0-4 year
olds and their parents in Barry County. Kayla Wickham is the parent
coordinator for the program, and she holds monthly meetings for parents to
create a base of people who are concerned for not only their children, but
all of the children in Barry County.
"The Great Start Vision is Œto make every child in Michigan safe, healthy,
and eager to succeed in school and in life and Barry County only becomes
stronger with the efforts of Julie, Kayla and the many others who work with
these kids in our communities," Jennette said.
To know more about the Barry County Great Start Program, please call Julie
Guenther at 269-945-9545, ext. 163.
(published with permission from J-Ad Graphics)