Great Start Shiawassee Parent Coalition

Parents play a critical role in the healthy development of young children, ages 0-8.  Great Start Shiawassee recognizes the expertise and value of parents. The Great Start Parent Coalition supports efforts to engage, empower and recruit parent leaders.

Parent Coalition Meetings 

Join us at our next meeting to enjoy dinner and conversation with other parents. Fun learning activities for parents and children.

Meetings are held on the 3rd Thursday of the Month from 5:30 - 7:00 pm. Dinner is served at 5:30, discussion starts at 6pm. Tot watch is available.  Meeting details are located on the Great Start event calendar. Location: 114 W. North Street, Owosso, Michigan.

Contact Us

To find out more information about the Great Start Shiawassee Parent Coalition contact our

Great Start Parent Liaison
Jennifer Babcock
 989-725-2581
 babcockj@sresd.org

Parent Coalition Activities

MAIL (Mailbox Adventures In Literacy) - Children in Shiawassee County (ages 0-4) are eligible to receive an age-appropriate book in the mail each month.  Coalition members assist in packaging the books for shipping.

Bus Book Buckets - Bus rides can be long for young children so the Coalition provides buckets of books to various school bus routes. The Coalition provides the books, volunteers stop in regularly to refresh the selection.

Touch-A-Truck - Our most popular event! Trucks, emergency vehicles and more turnout for children to explore while our non-profit partners host various fun activities inside.  Coalition members help set-up/take down tables for the event and distribute books. 

Car seat replacements made available through a grant from Wal-Mart and the Shiawassee County Health Department
Great Start Resource Hub 989-725-2581

Parenting Classes

The Great Start Parent Coalition also offers parenting classes.  The 2023 class will be based on Making Parenting A Pleasure, dealing with ages 0-8.  Topics will include:

  • Parents identify and discuss “Barriers” they may encounter
  • Parents identify the values and goals they want for their child, as they “pack their child’s suitcase”
  • Parents learn to support their children's emotional development through emotion coaching 
  • Parents learn to strengthen the parent-child relationship with “Positive Attention Through Play”
  • Parents learn about current brain development information and the “Effect of Stress” on child development

Details to come.

Great Start Shiawassee at Work

Two children making a craft with a volunteer from Home Depot at the 2023 Touch A Truck
Little boy with magnifying glass looking for preschool

Join Us!

  • 21 Sep
    • Make Parenting A Pleasure 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM
      Make Parenting A Pleasure
      Date: Sep 21
      Time: 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM
      Location: Early Childhood Learning Center, 114 W North St, Owosso, MI 48867, USA
      Calendar: Great Start Shiawassee
      Register at https://bit.ly/453Gjx1

      Make Parenting a Pleasure (MPAP) is a training program that promotes family resilience by bringing parents together to share and normalize their parenting experiences, learn about typical early childhood development and parenting strategies, develop a support network, and learn about other community resources available to them.

      Topics include 

      • Self care
      • Stress
      • Anger management
      • Communication skills
      • Positive discipline
      • Support emotional development
      • ...much more!
  • 28 Sep
    • Make Parenting A Pleasure 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM
      Make Parenting A Pleasure
      Date: Sep 28
      Time: 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM
      Location: Early Childhood Learning Center, 114 W North St, Owosso, MI 48867, USA
      Calendar: Great Start Shiawassee
      Register at https://bit.ly/453Gjx1

      Make Parenting a Pleasure (MPAP) is a training program that promotes family resilience by bringing parents together to share and normalize their parenting experiences, learn about typical early childhood development and parenting strategies, develop a support network, and learn about other community resources available to them.

      Topics include 

      • Self care
      • Stress
      • Anger management
      • Communication skills
      • Positive discipline
      • Support emotional development
      • ...much more!
  • 5 Oct
    • Make Parenting A Pleasure 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM
      Make Parenting A Pleasure
      Date: Oct 5
      Time: 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM
      Location: Early Childhood Learning Center, 114 W North St, Owosso, MI 48867, USA
      Calendar: Great Start Shiawassee
      Register at https://bit.ly/453Gjx1

      Make Parenting a Pleasure (MPAP) is a training program that promotes family resilience by bringing parents together to share and normalize their parenting experiences, learn about typical early childhood development and parenting strategies, develop a support network, and learn about other community resources available to them.

      Topics include 

      • Self care
      • Stress
      • Anger management
      • Communication skills
      • Positive discipline
      • Support emotional development
      • ...much more!
  • 12 Oct
    • Make Parenting A Pleasure 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM
      Make Parenting A Pleasure
      Date: Oct 12
      Time: 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM
      Location: Early Childhood Learning Center, 114 W North St, Owosso, MI 48867, USA
      Calendar: Great Start Shiawassee
      Register at https://bit.ly/453Gjx1

      Make Parenting a Pleasure (MPAP) is a training program that promotes family resilience by bringing parents together to share and normalize their parenting experiences, learn about typical early childhood development and parenting strategies, develop a support network, and learn about other community resources available to them.

      Topics include 

      • Self care
      • Stress
      • Anger management
      • Communication skills
      • Positive discipline
      • Support emotional development
      • ...much more!
  • 18 Oct
    • Great Start Parent Coalition
      Date: Oct 18
      Time: 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM
      Location: DeVries Nature Conservancy, 2635 North Michigan 52, Owosso, MI 48867, USA
      Calendar: Great Start Shiawassee
  • 19 Oct
    • Make Parenting A Pleasure 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM
      Make Parenting A Pleasure
      Date: Oct 19
      Time: 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM
      Location: Early Childhood Learning Center, 114 W North St, Owosso, MI 48867, USA
      Calendar: Great Start Shiawassee
      Register at https://bit.ly/453Gjx1

      Make Parenting a Pleasure (MPAP) is a training program that promotes family resilience by bringing parents together to share and normalize their parenting experiences, learn about typical early childhood development and parenting strategies, develop a support network, and learn about other community resources available to them.

      Topics include 

      • Self care
      • Stress
      • Anger management
      • Communication skills
      • Positive discipline
      • Support emotional development
      • ...much more!

 

 

 

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