Great Start Collaborative Meeting Minutes
August 15th, 2014
C.O.O.R ISD Board Room
Members present:
Cindy DeLadurantaye, GSC
Amy Coulter, GSC Parent Liaison
John Smock, Parent Rep
Ashley VanGorden, GSRP-CHA
Lorie Holton, GSRRC
Karen Pokorski, MHVI
Kim Westrick, DHD #2
Keri Van Steenis, NMCAA EHS
Shelly Hubbard, CTC
Linda Petty, NMCAA HS
Michelle Schepke, Roscommon CO-OP
Allison Oakes, NEMCSA
I.
II.
Melissa Hayes, COOR ISD
Kristen Carrick-Myers, HLUMC PreK/CC/GSRP
Emily Barber, Parent Rep
Sherry Garner, NEMCSA Head Start
Kathy Rees, RAPS
Cindy Buss, NMCAA
Andrea Lewis, NEMCSA Head Start
Michele Cochrane, COOR ISD
Katie Keith, COOR EC Specialist
Phyllis Rhodes, Great Start Liaison
Kelly Evans, WBRC GSRP
Chris Tappan, GSC Coordinator
Call to order at 9:01am
Welcome and introductions by Chris Tappan, GSC Coordinator
a. Review and approval of minutes from June 13th GSC meeting.
b. Motion to approve minutes, minutes approved
III.
Michigan Home Visiting Initiative Grant Update, Cindy D: The MHVI team has spent the last several months
collecting data in Prosperity Region 3, looking at needs and gaps. There is a very good chance that $2.5
million will be split pretty evenly between the three prosperity regions, funding one (or more) of three
programs: Early Head Start, Healthy Families America and Nurse Family Partnerships. The GSC then looked
at all of the data collected and individually or with a partner, made recommendations about what programs
would benefit in the counties with the highest need.
IV.
Great Start Readiness Update (GSRP): Audit, Melissa: The state audited 6 ISD’s in the state in May, COOR
being one of them. To prepare for the audit, a small team developed a GSRP Policy and Procedure Manual.
The program audit went very well. The 2 programs the state chose to visit was Charelton Heston Academy
GSRP and West Branch (Surline) GSRP. The overall report showed only 4 areas to improve, the biggest one
being student data. The finance audit showed $17,000 that was reimbursed but there are no invoices. All
but around $300 was tracked down and accounted for.
a. Slot allocation, Katie: COOR was originally allocated 833 slots. We currently have 500 of those slots
filled in 17 programs. There are 3 pending GSRPs that may open with potentially 50 more slots. Hoping
to fill around 625-650 slots, which is more realistic in our area. This is a huge expansion for COOR, who
filled 309 slots last year. Over income families in GSRP will pay the sliding fee scale. COOR is trying to
get all private providers to transition to GSRP.
V.
GSC, Chris: The GSC budget came in around $6000 less that last year.
a. Due to the 5th Annual Great Start Conference on 4/11/15, we are going to cancel our GSC meeting in
April, 2015. But the School Readiness Advisory Committee with still meet on April 10th, 11am at COOR
ISD.
b. The GSC looked at and discussed the workplan. No changes were made/requested. GSC members were
asked to sign up for workgroups. They chose from 0-3 Tracking, Parenting Leadership and Early Literacy.
c. The GSC is going to keep everybody updated on Partner and Agency events in all of our counties by
email and facebook.
VI.
Membership Sharing:
 Ogemaw County’s 211 is being fully funded by DHS.
 COOR is filing a large grant request for Early Head Start. If awarded, they would be partnering with
Center based childcare programs to bring in additional 72 EHS slots in our 5 County area.
VII.
The next GSC Meeting will be Friday, October 17th at COOR ISD at 9am. Meeting adjourned at 10:42am.