Membership and Structure

To join the Great Start Collaborative contact us.

The work of the Great Start Collaborative of Crawford, Oscoda, Ogemaw, Roscommon, and Iosco Counties is accomplished by the efforts and dedication of representatives of community organizations and by the commitment of enthusiastic parents. Their collective passion for the welfare of our regions’ youngest children and to their success in life is unparalleled.

Great Start Collaborative Governance

The GSC membership includes:

Parents of children (aged 12 or younger) who represent the diversity of the county(ies) constitute at least 20% of the total membership
Business leaders, e.g.
Directors of philanthropic and charitable organizations a president of local chamber of commerce, a director of workforce development or economic development for the county or counties or a manufacturing association
Directors of a faith-based organization
Directors of organizations that provide services on behalf of minority populations
The superintendents of the Intermediate School Districts
The directors of the local departments of public health, human services and community mental health
A director/CEO from a hospital or health care system
A juvenile or family court judge
The Early On Coordinator
The director of the Zero-to-Three Secondary Prevention Program or a director of a parenting education or family support program
The director of the Regional Resource Center
The director of the Head Start Program
Great Start Readiness Program that serves the county and/or counties
Directors of Licensed Child Care Centers and/or Home or Group Homes
Principals from elementary schools
Elected governmental officials

Operating Guidelines

Who We Are – The Kids Great Start Great Start Collaborative (Kids Great Start-GSC) is the local planning and decision-making body for the Great Start system – Michigan’s comprehensive early childhood system. The Great Start system components are: Physical Health, Social-Emotional Health, Parenting Leadership, Early Care and Education, and Basic Needs and Economic Security and Safety.
Vision – All children in Crawford, Oscoda, Ogemaw, Roscommon, and Iosco Counties will begin kindergarten safe, healthy, and ready to succeed in school and in life.
Mission – The mission of the Great Start Collaborative of Crawford, Oscoda, Ogemaw, Roscommon, and Iosco Counties is to engage the entire community to assure a coordinated system of services and resources to assist families in providing a great start for their children from birth through age five.
Purpose – The purpose of the collaborative is to:
1. Participate in the on-going coordinated system of community resources and supports to assist all in Crawford, Oscoda, Ogemaw, Roscommon, and Iosco County families in providing a Great Start for their children from birth to age 5.
2. Assist the local Great Start Collaborative Administrator in accomplishing early childhood related tasks, goals and objectives to improve the local system of early childhood related programs and services.
3. Assist in the development and implementation of a local early childhood and parent focused strategic and action plan based on a local needs assessment.
4. Implement recommendations for local systems for on-going improvements.
5. Encourage, facilitate and support parent engagement in participation and leadership roles.
6. Assist in engaging philanthropic, faith-based, public, private and legislative support including fund development, and advocacy.
Membership – An initial membership list has been developed as part of the grant proposal, and is based on requirements developed by the ECIC as part of the grant approval process. The composition of the Kids Great Start Great Start collaborative will represent the diversity of the five counties it serves.
1. Other membership requirements:
  1. Parents (birth, adoptive, foster, non-custodial or legal guardian) must constitute at least 20 percent of the total membership, be reflective of the demographic makeup of the community, and be parenting children aged 12 or younger.
  2. Parent members are to receive within four weeks after the meeting, financial reimbursement for expenses incurred as a member, and access to professional development and mentoring opportunities. Reimbursement is as follows:
    1. Mileage @ current IRS rate
    2. Honorarium for each meeting @ $25.00 per meeting
  3. The members of the Kids Great Start collaborative, with the exception of parents, must have sufficient authority to commit funds, staff and other resources on behalf of their organization.
  4. The Great Start Collaborative may include other members of the community as deemed necessary to achieve the goals of the Collaborative. Members are selected by an informal process of referral to the Collaborative, followed by a brief interview and orientation with the prospective member to insure they meet requirements, and have sufficient understanding and commitment to the mission of the Collaborative. Referrals can be made by any Collaborative member, the Project Coordinator, or other interested parties. Once selected for membership, the new prospective member shall submit a letter of commitment to the Project Director. Updated membership lists will be provided to members as necessary at regularly scheduled meetings.
Membership Responsibilities – It is crucial to the success of the Kids Great Start-GSC to have an active and engaged membership. The GSC will meet a minimum of six times per year as a full body. When circumstances prevent executive-level members from participation in all required GSC meetings, those members may appoint a high level administrative or managerial staff person to deliberate and make decisions in their absence, as long as the appointing executive attends at least two meetings per year. It is expected that high-level administrative or managerial staff who are appointed to serve in the absence of the executive, will report to the executive on the business of the GSC on a regular and ongoing basis. The membership provides overall direction in the governance and operations of the collaborative, appoints committees to undertake specific functions of the collaborative, and assures accountability for commitments made within the collaborative and the community.Membership duties include but are not limited to:
1. A commitment to attend all meetings either in person, or via telephone or video-teleconferencing.
2. Appoint committees, and/or workgroups for specific tasks
3. Provide direction, resources and support for committees and workgroups.
4. Cooperate with providing necessary statistical and other needed information for the completion of the community needs assessment and strategic plan.
5. Review progress, and ensure coordination throughout the assessment and strategic planning process.
6. Assure accountability for commitments made within the Collaborative and the community.
7. Keep the Project Director informed of any changes in membership, contact information, or availability of time and resources.
8. Participate in and/or provide for professional development and mentoring opportunities.
9. Make a good faith effort to contribute toward fulfilling the mission and purposes of the Kids Great Start Collaborative.
Meetings
1. Members of the Kids Great Start-GSC, in cooporation with the Collaborative Administrator, will determine by majority the frequency, location and time of meetings for a minimum of 6 meetings per year.
2. Members will receive notification of meetings at least two weeks before the
  scheduled meeting via e-mail. Members without e-mail access will receive a copy through the U.S. mail.
3. Participation in a meeting via teleconferencing or video-teleconferencing constitutes presence at a meeting.
4. Business decisions regarding the Collaborative will be made by majority vote of those present at the Collaborative meeting
5. In order to meet the attendance criteria, it is crucial that members attend scheduled meetings. If a member is not available for a scheduled meeting, the member shall contact the Collaborative Administrator in advance and if possible arrange for an authorized designee to attend the meeting.
6. To remain on the Kids Great Start-GSC, a member or their designee must attend at least four of the scheduled meetings within the year. The absence of any members for three (3) consecutive regularly scheduled meetings without justification can be cause for removal from the Kids Great Start-GSC. Nothing in these guidelines would prevent the Kids Great Start-GSC from reinstating an individual or agency/organization membership based upon a review and recommendation from the Executive Committee.
Executive Committee
1. Membership – The Executive Committee shall consist of the officers of its Collaborative and shall be democratically elected by the members. The EC shall consist of the following members:
  1. Chair
  2. Vice Chair
  3. Recording Secretary
  4. GSC Director (ex officio)
  5. Parent Liaison (ex officio)
  6. Five (5) members (one from each county)The chair and the vice chair shall be representatives from different organizations.
2. Representation – The Collaborative shall strive to ensure representation on the Kids Great Start-GSC from all five counties and from each of the five service areas of the Great Start System.
  1. Early Care and Education
  2. Parenting Leadership
  3. Social and Emotional Health
  4. Physical Health
  5. Basic Needs, Economic Security, and Child Safety
3. Duties of the Officers
  1. Chairperson
    1. Preside over and prepare agendas in consultation with the executive committee for all monthly meetings’
    2. Follow by consensus simple parliamentary procedures
    3. Provide a collaborative leadership style
    4. Recommend members to committees and workgroups as necessary
  2. Vice-Chairperson Preside over meetings in the absence of the Chair
    1. Fulfill the duties of the Chair in the event the Chair is unable to do so for any reason.
    2. Serve out the term of the Chair in the event that he/she is unable to complete the term of office
    3. Notify the Director in advance in the event that neither the Chair or Vice-Chair will be present and able to preside at a scheduled meeting
  3. Recording Secretary
    1. Attend all monthly meetings
    2. Take detailed minutes of the meetings
    3. Consult with and provide copies of minutes to the Director within one
      week following the meeting
    4. Appoint a designee if unable to attend a scheduled meeting, and notify the Director in advance
4. Participation – The Executive Committee will meet a minimum of six (6) times and members are required to attend four (4) of the scheduled meetings. Attendance may be in the form of participation through interactive television, conference calling, web conferencing or other technology method, when available.
5. Vacancies – If an officer has three (3) or more unexcused absences from meetings, their membership will be reviewed by the EC and they may be replaced by the general membership at the next meeting.
6. Committees – Committees shall be recommended by the Executive Committee
7. Term – Officers and the Executive Committee members will serve for a one year term and will be eligible to serve no more than three consecutive terms.
Standing Committees – The Kids Great Start-GSC will be undertaking specific tasks, and will accomplish the detailed work of these tasks and processes via the use of committees and workgroups. Meetings will be held as appropriate to complete needed tasks. The standing committees for the initial year of the project are as follows:
1. Executive Committee: Responsible for administrative oversight
2. Data Committee: Responsible for oversight of the community needs assessment, strategic plan and the action agenda
3. Communications Committee: Responsible for website development, media plan, early childhood community report card.
Voting
1. The preferred decision making process of the Kids Great Start-GSC shall be Consensus. Consensus is defined as: A decision which every member of the group can support even if the decision is not every member’s preference. If consensus cannot be obtained, Robert’s Rules of Order shall guide the voting.
2. For voting purposes, a quorum shall consist of a simple majority of those members or approved designees in attendance including a minimum of one parent representative. Each member or designee shall have one vote.
3. The Kids Great Start-GSC will use the “one designated member, one vote” rule as a guideline for voting purposes. A Kids Great Start-GSC member who is unable to attend may have an official designee as their representative by notifying the chairperson before the day of the meeting. Although Kids Great Start-GSC partners may have an agency guest attend meetings, it is only one designated person who is able to vote on their agencies behalf.
4. When roll call voting is required or requested, the names and votes of members and Designees shall be recorded in the minutes.
5. Members or designees shall abstain from voting when the question to be voted on directly or indirectly provides the member’s organization with funding or services through a contractual relationship.
6. Members are expected to report any other issues that may constitute a conflict of interest. The membership will then determine through the rules above if a conflict does exist, and if so, the member will abstain from voting on the issue. Members will also excuse themselves from discussion regarding issues with which the conflict of interest exists.
Conflict Resolution – Communications between members of the Kids Great Start-GSC shall be mutually respectful reflecting the shared vision and spirit of cooperation. In the event that a conflict should arise, it shall be handled in a respectful and discreet manner.
1. Should a member have an issue or conflict that they are not able to address at a scheduled meeting, they may contact the Collaborative Administrator for resolution or referral to the Executive committee.
2. In the event that a member has a conflict or issue regarding the Collaborative Administrator, they may contact the Executive Committee directly.
3. In the event that none of these procedures resolves the conflict or issue, the Kids Great Start-GSC Executive Committee may authorize the use of an outside mediator.
Procedures and Amendments
1. Amendments – These operational guidelines may be amended by a majority vote of the members of the Kids Great Start-GSC as appointed. At least one week prior to voting, Kids Great Start-GSC members will receive written or e-mail notification of the proposed amendment and the meeting at which it will be considered
2. Funding Decisions -A prioritized list of needs will be developed and used for future funding decisions. Members will vote on the priority list of needs to be addressed at a regularly scheduled Kids Great Start-GSC meeting. The prioritized list will be reviewed at least annually by the Kids Great Start-GSC through presentation by the Executive Committee.
  1. Whenever possible, all members will be notified when grant funds are available. This could be accomplished via e-mail, faxing, special meetings and regularly scheduled meetings.
  2. When funds become available, the Executive Committee will meet to determine if the goals of the new funding fit with the Kids Great Start-GSC strategic plan. The Executive Committee will present their recommendations to the Kids Great Start-GSC membership. The membership will vote on the recommendations at the next scheduled meeting, or a special meeting will be called for this purpose.