Birth Equity Programs Yellow Shawl Toolkit Childhood is Sacred The Cancer Prevention and Control programs...
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Head Start
What We Do
Head Start is a federal program that promotes the school readiness of children ages birth to 5 from low-income families by enhancing their cognitive, social and emotional development.
Head Start programs provide a learning environment that supports children’s growth in:
- Language and literacy
- Cognition and general knowledge
- Physical development and health
- Social and emotional development
- Approaches to learning
Head Start programs provide comprehensive services to enrolled children and their families, which include health, nutrition, social services and other services determined to be necessary by family needs assessments, in addition to education and cognitive development services. Head Start services are designed to be responsive to each child and family’s ethnic, cultural and linguistic heritage.
Head Start emphasizes the role of parents as their child’s first and most important teacher. Head Start programs build relationships with families that support:
- Family well-being and positive parent-child relationships
- Families as learners and lifelong educators
- Family engagement in transitions
- Family connections to peers and community
- Families as advocates and leaders
Head Start Services
Head Start serves preschool-age children and their families. Many Head Start programs also provide Early Head Start, which serves infants, toddlers, pregnant women and their families who have incomes below the federal poverty level.
Over a million children are served by Head Start programs every year, including children in every U.S. state and territory and in American Indian and Alaskan Native communities. Since 1965, nearly 30 million low-income children and their families have received these comprehensive services to increase their school readiness.
Head Start programs offer a variety of service models, depending on the needs of the local community. Programs may be based in:
- Centers or schools that children attend for part-day or full-day services
- Family child care homes
- Children’s own homes, where a staff person visits once a week to provide services to the child and families
Children and families who receive home-based services gather periodically with other enrolled families for a group learning experience facilitated by Head Start staff.
Staff
To contact our staff dial one of these numbers followed by the extensions listed below. 906.632.6896 or 877.482.3601 or 800.562.4957
Ann Cameron
Head Start Director
Ext: 159
Email: ann@itcmi.org
Susie Morningstar
Education Outreach Manager
Ext: 156
Email: smorningstar@itcmi.org
Haley Shaw
Administrative Assistant
Ext: 150
Email: haley.shaw@itcmi.org
Birth Equity
Programs
Asabike Coalition
About
HAVE YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO HELP YOUR COMMUNITY?
Do you care about important issues such as breastfeeding, children’s reading skills, and parenting support? If so, we encourage you to apply for an exciting opportunity to make a difference in your community by joining our Asabike Coalition Parent Initiative. Asabike Coalition is a group of people who work to improve the lives of Native American families just like yours.
BENEFITS
- All expenses paid travel with a breastfeeding and child-friendly environment;
- Connect with parents like you who care about improving their community;
- Opportunity to speak to local and state leaders about issues you care about;
- Earn a letter of recommendation and valuable leadership experience that you can use for future job opportunities or college applications.
IDEAL CANDIDATES
- Parent or primary caregiver of a Native American baby or toddler up to the age of two years old;
- Eligible for services at your local tribal clinic or County Health Department;
- Current or former tribal home visiting participant preferred (for example, Family Spirit, Healthy Start, or MIHP);
- 18 years of age or older with valid Michigan driver’s license and access to a vehicle to travel to two meetings per year (see below for more information).
EXPECTATIONS
- Commit to provide your input on a one-year project from April 2018-March 2019;
- Participate in two in-person meetings per year, each with an overnight stay if applicable;
- Sault Ste. Marie, MI – April 17th, 2018
- Lansing, MI – August 1st, 2018
- Attend 4 phone meetings over the course of the year (one hour each during normal working hours);
- With the help of your local tribe and others in your community, create a project that will help parents and children in your community. For example: help start a breastfeeding support group, playgroup, or children’s book exchange.
HOW TO APPLY
- Deadline to apply: Friday March 23rd, 2018 by 12:00PM NOON Up to two people from each tribal community will be selected by members of the Asabike Coalition. Applicants will be chosen based upon availability to participate and strength of your application. You will be notified of whether or not you have been selected by April 2nd, 2018 to give you time to prepare your travel to Sault Ste. Marie, MI on April 17th, 2018.
- There will be an informational webinar for selected participants on Friday April 6th, 2018. A registration link will be sent to your email. You will need computer and internet access to watch the webinar.
- Complete an online application at this address: https://goo.gl/forms/VmswGhjgSC7L0FM73
Resources
Infant Safe Sleep
PROTECT AND NURTURE STARTS WITH SAFE SLEEP
Welcome to our Infant Safe Sleep Resource Site. We have a number of resources to help parents, providers, and tribal home visitors to follow safe sleep guidelines. This website is intended to be a resource guide for our tribal community to honor our newborn babies and prevent sudden unexpected infant deaths. Explore the links above to learn more about what you can do to be sure every baby reaches their first birthday.
Explore the resources below to learn more about what you can do to be sure every baby reaches their first birthday.
Resources
Parent Resources
Infant Safe Sleep PARENTING RESOURCES Ending Tobacco Use Ending commercial tobacco use in the home...
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The Power of your Newborn Online Course
The Power of Your Newborn Online Course INFANT SAFE SLEEP The Power of Your Newborn...
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Community Leaders and Provider Resources
Community Leaders & Providers INFANT SAFE SLEEP Resources Powered By EmbedPress Supporting Native American Families...
Read MoreDigital Stories
Infant Safe Sleep
8 Videos
Additional Resources
Healing for Those Creating Life
Ji-Nanaandawi’indwaa
Waa-Ondaadiziikejig
About
The goal of the project is to strengthen the tribal capacity to respond to the opioid epidemic by strengthening systems and by providing support and services to mothers at risk for, or diagnosed with an OUD, and their infants and young children, including families affected by neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS).
Direct care coordination services are supported at three Upper Peninsula tribal communities currently experiencing the highest rates of Perinatal OUD/NAS including:
Resources
Trista LeBlanc Shares her Journey Overcoming Substance Use Disorder
Trista LeBlanc Shares her Journey Overcoming Substance Use Disorder
The Opioid Epidemic: Be Part of the Solution
Home Visiting Network
Programs & Resources
Cedar Bath
Cedar Bath Resources Powered By EmbedPress Download...
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State Home Visiting
State Home Visiting Resources
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Tribal Home Visiting
Tribal Home Visiting The Partnership for Anishnaabe...
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Healthy Start
Healthy Start Maajtaag Mnobmaadzid, “The Start of...
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Staff Resources
There is no excerpt because this is...
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Community Resources
Childhood is Sacred The Cancer Prevention and...
Read MoreChildhood is Sacred
About Childhood is Sacred
When making decisions, our Anishinaabeg ancestors thought about the impact their decision and planning would have seven generations ahead. It is a cultural practice that has helped preserved our language and traditional wisdom despite war and overwhelming historical challenges and barriers, some of which still affect us today and are largely the reason for the work we do in partnership with tribal communities.
Remembering that Childhood is Sacred keeps children at the heart of our communities and ensures a bright healthy future, many generations ahead. The period of childhood (0-8 years) is a foundational period of tremendous growth and development. It is the stage of life for learning and setting healthy practices. In addition, our elders tell us that every child is born with a unique gift important to maintaining balance in the community and as adults we are all charged with ensuring that every child is supported and nurtured in a manner that ensures their wellbeing. We want to see that every child’s gifts blossom.
Campaign Resources
Childhood is Sacred PSA
Children don’t need perfect parents. They need parents and grandparents to make time, listen, be curious and love them unconditionally. It’s our job to care for and spend time with our children so they realize their gifts and use them to help all our people. Childhood is sacred. Make time with your child sacred by being active, playful and true. This is how we heal the future.
Posters
Download these posters to help promote the Childhood is Sacred Campaign. Each poster features different ways to be active, playful and true with your child including cooking together, picking berries, playing ball games and getting regular exercise, making music, and more!
Resource Guide
Children don’t need perfect parents. They need parents and grandparents to make time, listen, be curious and love them unconditionally. It’s our job to care for and spend time with our children so they realize their gifts and use them to help all our people. Childhood is sacred. Make time with your child sacred by being active, playful and true. This is how we heal the future.
Wisdom Keeper Video Series
Children don’t need perfect parents. They need parents and grandparents to make time, listen, be curious and love them unconditionally. It’s our job to care for and spend time with our children so they realize their
Follow Us On Social Media
Join The Young Child Wellness Advisory Council (YCWAC)
This Council aims to create space for dedicated parents, community staff, and family members to share their voice and vision for young child wellness. If you are passionate about the wellbeing of children and families, please join our Young Child Wellness Advisory Council Meetings (held quarterly) and/or contact one of the members below.
Members
Michelle Leask (Schulte): mschulte@itcmi.org
Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan
Ashley Seppanen: ashley.seppanen@kbic-nsn.gov
Keweenaw Bay Indian Community
Julia Schroeder: julia.schroeder@hannahvilleschool.net
or Kendra Kleiman: kendra.kleiman@hannahvilleschool.net
Hannahville Indian Community
Lauren Ryskey: lryskey@lvdhealthcenter.com
Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians
Laura McKechnie: lmckechnie@saulttribe.net
Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians
History
Since 2012, ITCMI has been working with Tribes and Tribal Citizens across Michigan to erase the silos across services and programs that serve children 0-8 and their families. From community discussions to strategy innovation and implementation, everyone involved has been working to elevate the role of our early childhood providers, support parents and be more effective and efficient with existing resources in each community.
Additional Resources
Presentation and Webinar Recordings
The ITCM’s past REACH US project was a national, multilevel program that served as...
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Publications
Publications Our Work Presentations Plain Language Training – Making a Proverb Come True...
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Additional Links
- Upper Peninsula Community Resources
- Here families, individuals, home visitors, and community organizations will find helpful tools, information, and resources to help answer questions, find resources, trainings, share documents, and find community partners.
- ACF Video Series on Early Childhood Social Emotional Development and Mental Health and Caregiver Wellbeing
- The Children’s Bureau in partnership with the Office of Early Childhood Development, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, the Office of Head Start, and other federal partners, created a series of short videos to spotlight the importance of robust social emotional development and mental health support strategies within programs serving young children and their families.
- Fatherhood.org
- Fatherhood.org’s vision is that all communities and human service organizations are proactively father-inclusive so that every child has an involved, responsible, and committed father in their lives.