Great Start Families Connected

Family Newsletter- Sign Up On our website
Please contact Kelli Stuifbergen our "Family Engagement Specialist" with any questions, concerns, or future family engagement ideas at kelli.stuifbergen2@alleganaesa.org

NEXT EVENT: Allegan Aquatic Center- January 17th (11am-12:30pm)

*Families must register for purple events listed on Families Connected Calendar at bit.ly/familiesconnected2025 or with the QR code on the flier.

*You are only able to register for the current event. The registration will open again after each event, for the next event, this is due to different attendance restrictions for each event. Please be sure to check back frequently to register for the next event. Registration will also be posted on social media.

Allegan County's Great Start Collaborative (GSC)

This school year, we will be hosting Caterpillar & Butterfly Play-and-Learns. Caterpillar Play-and-Learns are intended for children, who are still in cocoons (swaddlers), stationary, and/or crawling.
Butterfly Play-and-Learns are intended for children, who can walk, run, and/or climb.

• Great Start Readiness Program- We still have openings in Hopkins and Martin school districts. Please encourage families to enroll their child on Help Me Grow Allegan's website (hmgallegan.org).or by calling 269-512-7775.

• Well & Septic Support (Flier 1, Flier 2)
• Car Seat Inspections- NEXT DATE: January 14th, 2024 (9am-12pm) at 323 Water Street, Allegan. Link to: Car Seats: Information for Families.

• Car Seat Availability- Email carseats@communityactionallegan.org to see if car seats are available.
• Diaper Bank- Families can only access free diapers 4x's in 12 months on select pick-up dates.
• Early Head Start programs- Openings in Otsego and Plainwell Early Childhood Centers & Home Based Program

Diapers, Pull-ups, Adult Briefs, and Wipes will be available the 1st and 3rd Thursdays and 2nd and 4th Mondays of each month. Due to funding reductions, pickups are now limited to 4 months a year. We ask for your patience, as wait times may be longer than usual, especially heading into the holiday season. For questions about the Diaper Bank, call 269-673-5472 ext. 223, 254, or 307.

Vision and Hearing Screenings & What Parent's Should Know

• Next Screenings: February 3rd

• List of Food Pantries
• Community Calendar of Events

• Sign up for Imagination Library! Each month, a FREE hard cover book will be delivered to your home. All Allegan County children ages 0-5 years old are eligible for this program.

  
  

  Did you know that Allegan County has many Little Free Libraries all over the county? You can take and leave books at these locations as often as your family would like to!

In order to better align with GSRP's Pyramid Model

"Promoting Social-Emotional Competence in Infants and Young Children",

our Great Start Family Coalition is now marketing

parent events, support groups, parent classes, and

community engagement opportunities with the same 3 colors/tiers.

Check out these Money Management Webinars from Michigan State University Extension! Webinar Pre-Registration is required. Go to mimoneyhealth.org and select Online Classes to get started!

• Count the Kicks resource
• Doulas serving Allegan County
• Women, Infants & Children website
• Mother to Baby website- https://mothertobaby.org MotherToBaby specializes in answering questions about the benefit/risk of exposures, such as medications, vaccines, chemicals, herbal products, substances of abuse, maternal health conditions and much more, during pregnancy or breastfeeding in both English and Spanish..
• Breath-4-Baby- Asthma support for pregnant mothers
• WIC Breastfeeding Hotline: 1(833) 649-4223. Available 7 days/week 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.
• Postpartum Help- https://www.postpartum.net/
• Michigan Breastfeeding Network (www.mibreastfeeding.org): Statewide collaborative for advocacy, education and coalition building to create a supportive breastfeeding culture.
• InfantRisk Center Call Line (https://www.infantrisk.com/): Provides up-to-date evidence based information on use of medications during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. Call 806-352-2519 Monday-Friday from 8:00 AM-3:00 PM.
• Free COVID Tests at Home- Covidtests.gov
• Infant Recalls: https://kidsindanger.org/
• Pregnancy+ App- A flyer has been developed to promote Pregnancy+, the MIHP preferred mobile app for families: Pregnancy+ Flyer. Please consider using this to share information with families about this unique mobile app which features Michigan-specific resources such as WIC, home visiting, tobacco cessation, and more. This flyer is also available on the Parent/Family Resources section of the MIHP website
• Michigan Tobacco Quitlink- For access to free quit programs and other resources, individuals can: Text QUITNOW to 333888. Call 1‐800‐784‐8669. Visit the Michigan Tobacco Quitlink.

• MIDHHS Virtual Baby Fair- December 2nd & 5th. Register here

We are here to connect families to local agencies' resources, services and programs.

Please refer your families with children (ages 0-5 years old) to our Help Me Grow website or phone number (269-512-7775) for assistance.

Help Me Grow Allegan Developmental Screeners- Free Ages & Stages questionnaires are available to all Allegan County families with children (ages 0-5 years old) on our Help Me Grow website in English and Spanish.