Resources Recommended:
Mark O'Reilly - Mark is a chaplain, with a Masters Degree in Christian Counseling. He is an ordained non-denominational chaplain offering professional telecounseling worldwide. I compassionately support mental health and spiritual wellbeing by combining spirituality, psychotherapy training, and 15+ years of counseling experience.
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Nicole Burman - Nicole is a Parent Educator/Coach, through Bright Beginnings. Bright Beginnings is a Blue Ribbon Model Affiliate of the Parents as Teachers program which "promotes the early development, learning, and health of young children by supporting and engaging their parents and caregivers."
Great Start to Quality - We focus on high-quality early learning experiences that build the foundation for skills children need to thrive in school and in life. To accomplish this, we offer support to strengthen Michigan’s providers of early care and education so they can continuously improve the services and support they provide young children, their families, and the community.
Association for Child Development - The Association for Child Development (ACD) is a nonprofit organization that educates parents and caregivers about nutrition to promote the development of children and establish healthy eating habits to last a lifetime.
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Koala Tees - At Koala Tee, nothing is more important than providing fun, high quality kids wear to the little ones in our lives. We believe in brightly colored shirts and memorable designs that kids insist on wearing. We promise to be on our best behavior to insure a wonderful ordering experience, because we think ordering t-shirts should be fun!
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Brains - To redefine potential through understanding each person’s unique strengths and struggles, building skills, and fostering strengths. Attaining goals in home, school/work, and community, we focus on enhancing your best life.
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Early On - Early On Michigan offers early intervention services for infants and toddlers, birth to three years of age, with developmental delay(s) and/or disabilities, and their families. Research has shown that by addressing delays early on - especially between birth and age 3 - children have better outcomes, even into adulthood.
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Great Start Collaborative - Imagine a world where every child is equipped to thrive, where every child is prepared to enter grade school without limitations. At Great Start Collaborative (GSC) of Kent County, this dream is our vision. It is the reason we exist, the reality we seek. As a true resource for families in our community, we bring together local philanthropic organizations, educators, leaders of public agencies, and parents who strive to address the needs of children throughout West Michigan. By connecting these perspectives, we identify plans for systemic change to ensure all children, from birth to age eight, can access high-quality early learning and development programs.
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Help Me Grow Kent - Help Me Grow Kent is an outreach and navigation service that helps families connect early childhood resources across Kent County. You are eligible if you are expecting a baby or have children up to age five. Help Me Grow Care Coordinators will work with you to figure out your unique needs and connect you with the programs that can help most. We help families who would like support with basic needs, home visiting, developmental concerns, childcare or preschool, mental health services, playgroups, and parenting support, among others.
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Ages & Stages - Ages & Stages Questionnaires® (ASQ®) provides reliable, accurate developmental and social-emotional screening for children between birth and age 6. Drawing on parents’ expert knowledge, ASQ has been specifically designed to pinpoint developmental progress and catch delays in young children—paving the way for meaningful next steps in learning, intervention, or monitoring.
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Build Up Michigan - Build Up helps parents and their children, ages 3 through 5, get additional educational support as they begin and continue to learn the skills needed to enter kindergarten. An initiative of the Michigan Department of Education, Office of Special Education, Build Up supports child find efforts through targeted outreach.
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Brightwheel - At Brightwheel, our vision is high quality early education for every child. Early education is one of the greatest determinants of childhood outcomes, is a must for working families, and has lasting social and economic impact. Brightwheel enables our vision by giving teachers meaningfully more time with students each day, engaging parents in the development of their kids, and supporting the small businesses that make up the backbone of the $100 billion early education market.
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Talking is Teaching - "Talking is Teaching: Talk, Read, Sing" is a public awareness and action campaign that helps parents recognize their power to boost their children’s early brain and vocabulary development through simple, everyday actions - like describing things while walking outside, or singing songs together during bath time.
