The Office of Great Start has been charged with ensuring that all children birth to age eight, especially those in highest need, have access to high-quality early learning and development programs and enter kindergarten prepared for success. The Governor outlined a single set of early childhood outcomes against which all public investments will be assessed:

• Children born healthy;
• Children healthy, thriving, and developmentally on track from birth to third grade;
• Children developmentally ready to succeed in school at the time of school entry; and
• Children prepared to succeed in fourth grade and beyond by reading proficiently by the end of third grade.

Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge Grant
The Office of Great Start and partners have received several requests for information on the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge Grant (RTT-ELC).  Currently we are in the process of finalizing the scope of work for approval to proceed with implementation.  We will continue to post periodic updates on our Facebook page and ask that you share these with interested parties in your community.  We are planning a webinar following an approved scope of work to highlight each project in greater detail.  You can find Michigan's RTT-ELC Project Abstract here.

For more information on the Race to the Top Early - Learning Challenge Grant please click here.  

Child Care Market Rate Survey
The Office of Great Start (OGS) Child Development and Care (CDC) program is implementing the bi-annual 2015 Child Care Market Rate Survey. The CDC program has partnered with Public Consulting Group, Inc. (PCG) for the execution and analysis of the results of this year’s survey.

Core Knowledge and Core Competencies for Early Care and Education
Michigan’s newly revised Core Knowledge and Core Competencies (CKCC) define what adults who work with young children need to know, understand, and be able to do in order to ensure that children have the best possible environments, experiences, and relationships in which to grow and learn.  The State Board of Education approved the Michigan Core Knowledge and Core Competencies for the Early Care and Education Workforce at their November 2014 meeting.  To access, see below.  

Michigan Core Knowledge and Core Competencies for the Early Care and Education Workforce
Alignment for Early Childhood Educators
Alignment for Early Educator Preparation
  
Revised Standards 
The State Board of Education (SBE) approved revisions to the following standards documents on March 12, 2013. The Early Childhood Standards of Quality for Infant and Toddler Programs (ECSQ-IT), Early Childhood Standards of Quality for Prekindergarten(ECSQ-PK), and the Michigan Out-of-School Time (MOST) Standards of Quality listed here are the most up-to-date versions available.  Revised Transition to Kindergarten Parent Guides

Office of Great Start Report: Great Start, Great Investment, Great Future
Great Start, Great Investment, Great Future (The Plan for Early Learning and Development in Michigan)
Early Childhood Program Inventory
Appendices 

32p Block Grant

 The Office of Great Start is now on Facebook! Click on the icon to stay connected. 

Great Start Readiness Program 
If you are a parent interested in the Great Start Readiness Program, click here.

Great Start to Quality helps parents find the best child care and preschool settings for their children and helps providers and educators improve the care they give to children.

Resources
Community Learning Webinar-Shared Infrastructure in Early Childhood Programs: Common Applications and Beyond Presentation.

Community Learning Webinar-Shared Infrastructure in Early Childhood Programs: Common Applications and Beyond recorded webinar. 
 

Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge 21st Century Community Learning Centers  Early On Michigan  Early Childhood Special Education  Head Start Collaboration Office		Section 32p Block Grant   Great Start Readiness Program - Evaluation  Great Start Readiness Program Michigan Interagency Coordinating Council  Child Development and Care