Ingham Great Start Collaborative, Birth to Five Vision Statement:
Every Ingham County child ready to succeed in school and life"

AGENDA September 10, 2008 1-3:30pm

Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 549 E. Mt. Hope in Lansing

1:00pm - Opening (Chairperson: Stephanie Peters, Timekeeper: Jamie Yeomans)
- Introductions - All
            - Approval of GSC Previous Meeting Minutes (8/13/08)

 1:15pm - GSC Business       
- League of Women Voters: Children’s Health & Voter Registration (Ken & Michelle)
- CAUW/CRCF Press Conference and Updates (Michelle)
- Recruit New Members (Parents, MSUE, Faith, Business)

 1:45pm - Advisory Groups: Early On (Stephanie), Jump Start (Lisa), and
Great Parents Great Start (Michelle)

 1:55 pm - Children’s Action Agenda & CAUW/CRCF Youth Initiative

For each Goal Area review Action Agenda & RFP activities and progress

3:00pm - Part III – Action Agenda, Building Links – featured Agency/Programs
          Pat Gilbert, Capital Area Transportation Authority

3:30pm - Reminder next GSC Meeting October 8, 2008.   Meeting officially ends.

Ingham Great Start Collaborative, Birth to Five Vision Statement:
Every Ingham County child ready to succeed in school and life"

MINUTES September 10, 2008 1-3:30pm

Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 549 E. Mt. Hope in Lansing

Present: Lori Brasic - OYC, Jane Bobay - LCC, Jen Cousineau - Gateway Community Services, LaVera Fish - Ingham ISD, Fran Jozefowicz - CEI CMH, Barry Kaufman - CEI CMH, Keri Keck - ICHD Teen Parenting, Jennifer Lamphere - Cristo Rey Community Center, Sara Lewandowski - MSU/CMH, Laurie Linscott - MSU Child Development Lab, Bishop David Maxwell - Mayor’s Office of Community and Faith-Based Initiatives, Lucy McClintic - CACS Head Start, Tom Mumby - Lansing School District, Michelle Nicholson - Ingham ISD, Stephanie Peters - Ingham ISD Early On & ECSE, Yvonne Phillips - Mayor’s Office of CFBI, Rachel Posen - CAPS, Peggy Roberts - Power of We Consortium, MC Rothhorn - Parent Coordinator, Ken Sperber - Ingham GSC, Debby Starnes - ICHD PHN, Beany Tomber - WKAR, Nichole Waters - CAUW, and Jamie Yeomans - Parent (GPGS)

Opening and Approval of 8/13/08 Minutes

Operations Committee members continue to chair the GSC meetings.  Stephanie Peters chaired the meeting, and Jamie Yeomans acted as the timekeeper.  Members proceeded with introductions and new participants Jane Bobay, Sara Lewandowski, and LaVera Fish were introduced and welcomed by all. The Minutes from the previous Ingham GSC meeting on 8/13/08 were approved without correction.  The meeting Minutes will be posted at the Ingham GSC website http://www.cacvoices.org/organizations/birthtofive/minutes .

GSC Business     

League of Women Voters: Children’s Health & Voter Registration
Ken reviewed the 4 co-sponsored voter registration and health care education events that the GSC has been co-sponsoring with the League of Women Voters (LWV), Cooley Law School, and the Health Department. The first event held on 9/3/08, at a Food Mover’s site, had about 81 participants.  The voter registration and health information and resources was distributed to the participants while they were waiting for the Food Movers food distribution to begin.  MC and Yvonne, who also worked the event, commented that the participants were eager to receive the information and appreciated the free food and gift packs.  There was a wide range of participants from senior citizens to preschoolers.  The second event at on 9/9/08 was held at the Lansing Library downtown and there were only about 10 to 15 people in attendance (mostly Cooley Law School Students). The flyer describing the events is available on-line at the Birth to Five GSC website at: http://www.cacvoices.org/birthtofive/minutes/LWV . (The 9/16/08 event at the Voter Registration Unit on South Washington has been cancelled, and another event is being planned at Cooley Law School during the lunch hour on 9/23/08).

CAUW/CRCF Press Conference and Updates
On Wednesday 9/10/08 at 11am, the Capital Area United Way and the Capital Region Community Foundation held a press conference to announce their funding of the Youth Initiative - Birth to Five. Staff and Board members from the CAUW and the CRCF spoke about the importance of investing in early childhood to improve school readiness.  The Funders presented a ceremonial check for $625,000 representing the 3-year commitment by CAUW, CRCF and REO Olds Foundation to the Birth to Five Initiative.  There were print reporters and TV crews covering the event. The following photo is a hot link to an on-line news clip from WILX News 10 covering the funding goals and the check presentation to the Ingham Great Start Collaborative.  {WILX link no longer plays the videoclip - link removed}

Recruiting New Members

Michelle reported that we still need a few letters of commitment from some partner GSC agencies (DHS, CAPS and the Courts).  Also, we need additional members to help represent parents of young children, and the faith and business communities. Currently there is not a representative from MSU Extension actively participating in the GSC so Ken and Michelle will talk with Ingham MSUE Director Randy Bell next week to discuss this situation.

Advisory Groups

Early On - Stephanie reported that due to staff retirements Early On will be brining on several new staff including a physical therapist, speech therapist, and a teacher. Mischele McManus has been hired into the new full-time Early Childhood Coordinator position at the Ingham ISD.  Mischelle has previously worked at the Michigan Dept of Ed as an Early On Consultant and trainer.  In her new position at Ingham ISD Mischele will be working half-time with Stephanie in Early On and EC Special Ed, and half-time with Michelle on Great Parents Great Start, the Galileo Program, and PAT certification.  Fran also mentioned that there is a new Infant Mental Health Specialist position shared between CMH and Early On.

Jump Start  - Lisa was not at the meeting, but relayed through Michelle some of the challenges facing the Jump Start program.  Jump Start, as we know it, will cease on October 1^st but with the support of the Ingham County Board of Commissioners all the staff positions will be retained using Medicaid Outreach dollars.  The new (yet unnamed) program is being re-defined to serve pregnant woman and families with children.  Although home visits will remain an integral part of the services offered, there will be changes in the duration and intensity of services.

Great Parents Great Start - Michelle reported that although the GPGS re-application will be due to the State on 10/15/08, the application forms and instructions have not yet been received. Given the tight timeline, Michelle asked the GSC for permission to use an email review and approval process for the GPGS application.  After the receiving the GSC approval the application must also be forwarded on to the Power of We Consortium for their approval before it can be sent to the State.  The GSC approved using an email review and approval process for the GPGS grant application.

Children’s Action Agenda & CAUW/CRCF Youth Initiative

In the next segment of the meeting the GSC reviewed each Goal Area in the Children’s Action Agenda (the bolded Roman numeral headings) and discussed the year to date progress on the CAUW/CRCF Youth Initiative activities (the reference numbers and headings listed in italics).  The full CAUW/CRCF Youth Initiative activities plan is available on-line at the Ingham GSC Website:
http://www.cacvoices.org/organizations/birthtofive/minutes/RFPchar

Goal I - Physical Health
4a. Oral Dental materials - Lucy shared oral dental health materials used at Head Start, and “oral kits”
4b. Oral Dental training - Infant Oral Health Summit on 10/3/08 at Lansing Radisson (OYC & HS sending staff), brochure on-line at http://www.miaap.org/files/Oral%20Health%20Summit%20Brochure.pdf
4c. Miles for Smiles - Date set for 4/18/09

Goal II - Social-Emotional Health
7a. Professional  Development - KEEP Task Force has developed a list of potential topics for cross-discipline training workshops
7b. KEEP Consultation Team - Tom suggested exploring an on-line forum for preschool teachers to get help with behavioral problems with advice from KEEP staff, and other teachers and professionals
7c. Gap Fund - KEEP Task Force has been brainstorming areas needing gap funding and discussing approaches to use to address these issues

Goal III - Early Care & Education

2a. Early Literacy Mall Events - Flyers and brochures for October mall events and two weeks of literacy activities is now ready for distribution.  The flyer is now on-line at the Ingham GSC and CADL websites: http://cadl.org/news/ECLC-2008-flyer.pdf
2b. Early Literacy - Emergent Literacy event - The Early Childhood Literacy Coalition workgroup in conjunction with the Parent Ed workgroup will be planning an event for Spring or Summer 2009
3a. Early Lit - Imagination Library - Eaton - A subcontract is being written to have the Eaton United Way serve as the fiduciary for the Eaton GSC to expand Imagination Library to include 300 children birth to five years of age in the Grand Ledge area
3b. Early Lit - Imagination Library - Clinton - A subcontract is being written to have the Clinton County RESA serve as the fiduciary to develop an Imagination Library to serve 330 children birth to five years of age in Clinton County
5a. Early Ed & Care Scholarships - The four current child care scholarship programs in the community (OYC, LCC Women’s Resource Center, MSU Spartan Kids Program, and City of East Lansing) have been invited to the October 6^th Quality Initiatives workgroup meeting (to begin discussions on expanding scholarship funds available to families.
6a. Prof Dev - Coaching - The QI workgroup has been reviewing common elements and strategies in current programs, focusing on centers, how to maximize resources, and targeting the coaching as a follow through for participants in early childhood trainings (with OYC, LCC, KEEP, MSUE, etc)
6b. Prof Dev - Training - There are plans to repeat another spring training for area Kindergarten teachers,  preschool and community child care teachers.  A tentative date of 3/10/09 had been chosen for this professional development day.

Goal IV - Basic Needs - (no targeted areas in CAUW/CRCF funding)

Goal V - Family Support
1a. Play & Learn groups + Outreach at alternate sites - The Parent Ed workgroup has been exploring using the Food Movers sites as an opportunity to provide outreach for GSC partner agencies.  Yvonne prepared a list of the Food Mover sites and a schedule for agencies to sign-up on a rotating basis.  Trinity Church and Bingham School sponsor a neighborhood family evening for refugees.  Several GSC members volunteered to help staff a Play & Learn session for parents with young children at the event on 9/25/08.
1b. Home Visits - The parent Ed workgroup has been initially focusing on the Play & Learn groups and the outreach efforts in their meetings. The workgroup has discussed who has been doing home visits, criteria and services.
1c. Parent Ed materials - Deferred planning this until Play & Learn and home visitor topics become more clear.

Goal VI  - Infrastructure
8a. Public Awareness theater ads - The Public Awareness workgroup has been discussing placement of customized versions of the short Parenting Counts videos with the GSC contact information on the screens at the NCG and Celebration Cinemas.  Arrangements should be finalized by September 30^th to use CAUW/CRCF funds as local match for ECIC Infrastructure funds for these public will-building efforts.
8b. Born Learning materials - Michelle has been in contact with Civitas to receive several Born Learning transit and print size posters.  Some of the content areas are literacy, play, health, and responsive caregiving.  They will be both in English and Spanish.
Grant management, evaluation and reporting - Michelle and Ken are following-up on ways to use MSU expertise to help evaluate the success of the CAUW/CRCF initiative and measure community indicators for overall gains in school readiness.  Michelle hoped to have a signed contract between the funders and the fiduciary agency (Ingham ISD) within the next two weeks.

Action Agenda, Building Links – featured Agency/Programs
          Pat Gilbert, Capital Area Transportation Authority

Pat Gilbert from the Capital Area Transportation Authority attended the Ingham GSC meeting to highlight CATA services and the upcoming millage proposal on the November 4^th ballot.  Pat shared several points listed below and distributed information brochures (copies available on-line at the CATA website).

Our Community’s public transportation services are at risk. The demand for bus service in the Lansing area is at an all-time high, but the Capital Area Transportation Authority (CATA) will have to implement significant service cuts if voters reject an operating millage proposal on the November 4th ballot.  This year, ridership on CATA buses will surpass 11 million rides for the first time in history. Among those are many new passengers who turned to CATA for relief from high gas prices. Also, more people are riding CATA as a way to show their commitment to a clean environment. This is not the time for public transportation to be forced to reduce service.

While Demand Increases, Funding Falls Short. CATA is facing a revenue shortfall.  In 1998 State funding covered 50% of operating expenses and in 2008 State funding covered only 31%.  This has caused a funding shortfall.  In addition, when the price of fuel goes up by $1 per gallon, it increases CATA operating costs by more than $1 million per year.  Earlier this year CATA raised the price of bus fares and passes, but like other public services, CATA depends largely on funding from State and local sources.  This millage increase would fill the funding gap and allow CATA to expand service to meet the growing need for public transportation. 

Millage Facts. The proposal on the November ballot would increase CATA’s operating millage rate by 0.787 mills. It would cost a person with a home valued at $100,000 about $39 per year, or less than most people pay for a tank of gasoline.  All funds raised from the millage would be used for operations. None of the money would be used for capital building projects or bus purchases.

Cuts Would Hurt Many in Our Community.  If the millage fails, CATA will have to make major service cuts, and the effects will be felt throughout our community.  Weekday evening service will likely be cut, as well as Saturday and Sunday service on most routes. Some bus routes may be eliminated. When cuts are made to CATA fixed-routes, corresponding cuts would be made to Spec-Tran service for persons with disabilities.  Cuts would be implemented as early as this winter, with more cuts made in the fall of 2009. 

Pat ended with a statement that this issue is important to our community, and appealed for everyone to talk to other voters, and for everyone to please vote on November 4, 2008.

Next Ingham GSC Meeting
The GSC meeting ended at 3:30pm with a reminder that the next Ingham GSC Meeting will be on October 8, 2008 at Bethlehem Lutheran Church (549 E. Mt. Hope) in Lansing.  On-site childcare will be available at the Family Growth Center by reservation (call Kathy 371-1347).