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April Family Coalition Meeting

TOPIC: Growing Happy, Healthy Kids - The Power of Positive Childhood Experiences

Join us to discover how simple, everyday positive experiences can transform your child's future health and happiness.

During this event, parents will be guided through the HOPE Framework (Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences), which focuses on Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs) that:

Help children develop resilience
Reduce the effects of difficult experiences
Support healthy development
Lead to thriving, healthy adulthood

Learn the difference between reactive (Type 1) and thoughtful (Type 2) thinking to create more positive moments for your family every day!

The HOPE Framework helps families thrive and provides tools for parents, caregivers, and professionals to create nurturing environments through:

Safe, stable relationships with caring adults
Safe, supportive environments
Social and emotional development opportunities
Chances for learning and discovery

This event is happening in partnership with Head Start/GSRP Mental Health and Disabilities Coordinator Jennifer Lange, LMSW.

Great Start Family Coalition April 17 Meeting

FREE Dinner and Childcare Available! Please register by April 15 to secure a spot.

Thursday, April 17, 2025

5:45 pm: Dinner

6:00 - 7:45 pm: Meeting

Who is welcome:

Everyone in Livingston County raising children ages 0-8 who may be looking to expand their social circle, share experiences, and find support from other parents.

Meeting location:

Livingston Educational Service Agency

1425 W. Grand River Howell 48843

Sign up for Reminders: https://www.remind.com/join/gslfc
Share this registration here: https://bit.ly/April25FC

StoryWalk® with Great Start Livingston

Looking for something FREE and fun to do? Check out one of our StoryWalk® locations in Livingston County!

StoryWalks combine literacy and learning with the outdoors and includes activities like talking, reading, singing and playing to help your child develop early literacy skills.

Current locations:

Oceola Township in Howell
Story: How Do You Wokka-Wokka?
Centennial Park in Fowlerville
Story: And Here's To You!
Lakeland Trailhead in Hamburg
Story: Noah and His Red Cat
Genoa Township in Brighton
Story: I Am A Bird
Brighton Tridge downtown
Story: Hello, My Name Is Ruby

Visit Our StoryWalk Page

Collaborative Spotlight: Kasey Hilton – Disability Advocate at The Arc of Livingston County

I’m Kasey Hilton, a passionate disability advocate at The Arc Livingston, where I support children and adults with developmental disabilities.

My role includes helping families navigate school systems, from reviewing 504s and IEPs to attending meetings and ensuring students’ needs are met. I also assist with housing, disability services, the Medicaid process, and offer support through our Sibshop Program.

As a parent of a child with a disability and a former educator with 14 years of experience, I bring both the teacher and parent perspective to my advocacy work. I’m a strong advocate for amplifying disabled voices, ensuring that people with disabilities not only have a seat at the table but lead the conversation.

I also work to make our community more inclusive through professional development, trainings, and by providing resources like a disability-inclusive book list available on the Arc Livingston website. We also offer parent support, summer camp scholarships, and sensory-friendly Santa visits.

Learn more about the work I do and how The Arc Livingston is making a difference at arclivingston.org.

You can also reach me at kasey@arclivingston.org or follow me on Instagram at @almostsavedbythebell for updates on disability inclusion and justice.

We’re always looking for volunteers and supporters, and our next event is the golf outing on July 25th!

Learn More About The Arc Livingston

Literacy With Lisa: Michigan Learning Channel Resource

Are the infants, toddlers, and early learners in your life Ready to ROAR? Being ready to roar means having the experiences and building the skills and muscles that will help little ones when they are learning to read and write.

Read, Write, ROAR! Preschool is an English Language Arts program for preschool learners. The Michigan Learning Channel is a great resource to help build a foundation of literacy skills with early learners. Parents can also learn the simple things you can do to make a big impact for the early learners in your life.

Here is a good introductory video that talks about using a child's name: https://www.michiganlearning.org/show/rwr-preschool/

Lisa Pecorilli-Eoll is an Early Literacy Coach

Feedback Survey

Thank you for an amazing Family Fun Day!

We had an incredible turnout at Family Fun Day on March 15 — more than 570 attendees joined us for a day of fun, learning, and community! Seeing so many families come together reminds us why these events matter.

Your feedback helps us secure funding to continue offering events like this. By sharing your thoughts, you help us show the impact of Family Fun Day and advocate for future support.

Please take 2 minutes to fill out our quick survey!

Your input directly supports programs for families in our community.

Help Me Grow Livingston

Visit our new Help Me Grow website for help with a developmental screening for your child or to connect with our Care Coordinator to help you navigate resources related to raising young children!

Call or text a care Coordinator at 844-464-0005

MSU Extension - April Child and Family Development Offerings

Learn More About FREE MSU Offerings in April

April 11: Great Start Fundraiser at Biggby!

The Biggby Coffee located at 1485 N. Michigan Avenue in Howell, has graciously offered to host a fundraiser for us on Friday, April 11.

Visit anytime from 6 a.m. - 8 p.m. and order a drink. $1 from every 20/24 oz. beverage will be donated back to us!

This donation will help us pay for food and childcare for our events. Your support can help us cover these costs, ensuring every family has the opportunity to participate. Thank you, Biggby!